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NIVERSITY  OF  CA   IFORNIA.  SAN  DIEGO 


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1      ERS  TY  OF  CALIFORNIA.  SAN  DIEGO 


3  1822  00276  8745 


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10  P  WARI) 


THE    UPWARD   AND    ONWARD   SERIES. 


FIELD  AND  FOREST; 


OK, 


BY 


OLIVER    OPTIC, 


AUTHOR  OF  "YOUNG  AMERICA  ABKOAlV'TlIE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  6TOEIE8," 

"THE  WOODVIL1.E  8TOHIE8,"  "THE  HOAT-CLUIS  STORIES,"  "  TliE 

8TAUUY  FLAG  6TORIKS,"  "THE  LAKE-SIIOKE 

8TOBIE8."  ETC. 


WITH  FOURTEEN  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BOSTON: 
LEE     AND     SHEPARD 

NEW   YORK: 
CHARLES   T.   DILLINGIIAM. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870, 

BY  WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


BLECTBOTTPKI)  AT  THB 
BOSTON    BTEEEOTTPK   FOUNDBT, 


TO 


MY    EXCELLENT    YOUNG    FRIEND 


CHARLES  H.  FOWLE 


IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


THE  UPWAED'AND  OFWAKD  SEEIES. 

1.  Field  and  Forest;   OR,  THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER 

2.  Plane  and  Plank  ;  OR,  THE  MISHAPS  or  A  MECHANIC. 

3.  Desk  and  Debit ;  OR,  THE  CATASTROPHES  OF  A  CLERK. 

4.  Cringle    and    Cross-Tree;   OR,  THE    SEA   SWASHES 

OF  A  SAILOR. 

5.  Bivouac  and  Battle  ;  OR,  THE  STRUGGLES  OF  A  SOLDIER. 

6.  Sea  and  Shore;  OR,  THE  TRAMPS  OF  A  TRAVELLER. 


PREFACE. 


"FIELD  AND  FOREST"  is  the  first  of  THE  UPWARD  AND 
ONWARD  SERIES,  in  which  the  career  of  a  youth  from  his  child 
hood  to  manhood  is  illustrated  and  described.  In  following  out 
the  plan  which  the  author  adopted  when  he  began  to  write  books 
for  the  young,  and  which  he  has  steadily  pursued  in  the  fifty 
volumes  now  before  the  public,  he  has  endeavored  to  make  his 
hero  a  young  man  of  high  aims  and  lofty  purposes,  however 
strange,  stirring,  or  even  improbable  his  adventures  might  seem. 
Phil  Farringford,  the  leading  character  of  this  series,  though 
he  may  have  some  of  the  conceit  which  belongs  to  youth,  is 
always  honest,  true  to  principle,  and  faithful  to  the  light  which 
he  seeks  in  the  gospel,  and  in  all  the  other  sources  of  wisdom. 
He  aims  to  be  a  Christian  young  man,  respects  and  loves  all 
the  institutions  of  religion,  and  labors  to  make  his  life  an  "  Up 
ward  and  Onward  "  progress. 

The  scene  of  the  story  is  laid  upon  the  waters  of  the  upper 
Missouri;  and  while  the  writer  hopes  the  reader  will  find  the 
story  sufficiently  stirring  and  exciting  to  engage  his  attention, 
he  also  trusts  that  Phil's  Christian  principles,  his  reverence  for 
the  Bible,  and  his  devotion  to  duty  and  principle,  will  receive 
the  earnest  consideration  of  his  young  friends. 

HARRISON  SQUARE,  BOSTON, 

June  0,  1870. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PACK 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  COMES  HOME  WITH  PLENTY  OP  FISH.  .    .     11 


CHAPTER    II. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  FINDS  THE  CAMP  OF  THE  INDIANS.       .     .    21 

CHAPTER    III. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  TAKES  GOOD  CARE  OF  THE  HORSES.    .     .    32 

CHAPTER    IV. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  LOSES  AN  OLD  AND  VALUED  FRIEND.    .     .    42 

CHAPTER    V. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  FOLLOWS  KIT  CRUNCHER 53 

CHAPTER    VI. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  ASSISTS   IN   THE   BUILDING  OF  A  BLOCK 
HOUSE 63 

CHAPTER    VII. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS  GUARD  THE  CASTLE.     .     74 

(7) 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  SEES  THE  FIRST  YOUNG  LADY  HE  EVER  SAW.       85 

CHAPTER    IX. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  HAS  A  VISITOR  AT  THE  CASTLE.     ...       95 

CHAPTER    X. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  VISITS  PARADISE,  AND  FIRES  AT  AN  INDIAN.     106 

CHAPTER    XI. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  ENGAGES  IN  THE  PURSUIT  OF  THE  INDIANS.     116 

CHAPTER    XII. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  TAKES  DELIBERATE  AIM  AT  ONE  OF  THE 

CAPTORS  OF  ELLA 127 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  AND  HIS  COMPANION  ARRIVE  AT  THE  CABIN 

OF  KIT  CRUNCHER 138 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  ROWS  THE  BARGE  UP  THE  BIG  FISH  RIVER.     149 

CHAPTER    XV. 

IN  WHICH   PHIL   AND   HIS    COMPANIONS   START   FOR   THE 

CASTLE ICO 

CHAPTER    XVI. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  ARRIVES  AT  THE  CASTLE 171 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  CONDUCTS   THE   SOLDIERS   TO   THE   LINE 

OF  DEFENCE 182 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  FIGHTS  THE  INDIANS  ON  THE  ISLAND.      .     193 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL   CONDUCTS   THE   RAFT   TO  THE  LANDING, 

AND  MORGAN  FIRES  THE  BIG  GUN 204 

CHAPTER    XX. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  WITNESSES  THE  OPENING  OF  THE  BATTLE 

WITH  THE  INDIANS.    . 215 

CHAPTER    XXI. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  SEES  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  WAR.      .     226 

CHAPTER    XXII. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  UNDERTAKES  A  HEAVY  JOB 236 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

IN   WHICH   PHIL'S  RECONSTRUCTION   PLAN  is   FULLY   SET 

FORTH 247 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS  EXAMINE  THE  CONTENTS 

OF  THE  CHEST 257 

CHAPTER    XXV. 
IN  WHICH  PHIL  ATTENDS  TO  THE  AFFAIRS  OF  THE  PARK.     268 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL,  WITH  ins  FORTUNE  AS  A  FARMER,  BIDS 

FAREWELL  TO  FIELD  AND  FOREST.  ,     278 


FIELD  AND  FOREST; 

OB, 
THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER 


CHAPTER  I. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL   COMES   HOME  WITH   PLENTY   OF   FISH. 

"TJOLLO,  Phil!" 

I  j  That  was  the  name  to  which  I  answered, 
especially  when  it  was  spoken  as  decidedly  as  on 
the  present  occasion. 

"  I'm  coming,"  I  replied,  at  the  top  of  my  lungs. 

I  had  been  a-fishing  in  a  stream  which  flowed 
into  the  Missouri  about  a  mile  above  my  home.  I 
had  been  very  successful,  and  had  as  many  fish 
as  I  could  carry.  I  was  gathering  them  up, 
after  I  had  fastened  my  bateau  to  the  stake,  and 
intended  to  convey  them  to  the  Castle,  as  our 
log  hut  was  rather  facetiously  called  by  its  owner. 

"  Phil !  Phil !  "  repeated  the  voice  above  the 
bluff  of  the  river. 

(ii) 


12  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

It  was  Matt  Rockwood  who  called ;  and  as 
he  was  the  only  master  and  guardian  I  had 
ever  known,  I  always  obeyed  him  —  when  I 
could  not  help  doing  so.  His  tones  were  more 
imperative  than  before,  and  I  proceeded  with 
greater  haste  to  gather  up  my  fish,  stringing 
them  upon  some  willow  twigs  I  had  just  cut 
for  the  purpose. 

Crack  went  a  rifle.  The  sound  startled  me, 
and,  dropping  my  fish,  I  ran  up  the  steep  bank 
of  the  river  to  the  summit  of  the  bluff  on  which 
the  Castle  was  located. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  I  asked,  when  I  reached 
the  spot  by  the  side  of  the  house  where  Matt  stood. 

"  Don't  you  see  ? "  he  replied,  raising  his  rifle 
again,  and  taking  aim. 

I  looked  in  the  direction  towards  which  his 
weapon  was  directed,  and  saw  two  Indians, 
mounted,  each  of  whom  had  a  led  horse. 

"  Them  pesky  Injuns  lies  stole  our  hosses," 
added  old  Matt,  as  he  fired  his  rifle  the  sec 
ond  time.  "  'Tain't  no  use ;  I  might  as  well 
shoot  at  the  north  star." 

The  two  Indians,  with  their  animals,  disap 
peared  in  the  forest  beyond  the  clearing,  and 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        13 

Matt's  last  chance  was  gone.  A  few  years 
earlier  in  the  life  experience  of  the  old  squat 
ter,  the  thieves  would  not  have  escaped  so 
easily,  for  Matt  was  a  dead  shot  before  the 
rheumatism  took  hold  of  him.  Now  he  hob 
bled  about  a  little  on  a  pair  of  rude  crutches 
I  had  made  for  him ;  but  his  eyes  were  rath 
er  weak,  and  his  arm  was  unsteady.  His  rifle 
was  no  longer  unerring,  and  the  thieving  sav 
ages  could  plunder  him  with  impunity. 

There  was  an  Indian  village  about  ten  miles 
from  the  Castle,  and  from  the  known  character 
of  its  inhabitants,  and  the  direction  the  maraud 
ers  had  taken,  we  concluded  they  had  come  from 
there.  I  went  into  the  house,  and  procured  my 
rifle  —  a  light  affair,  which  old  Matt  had  pur 
chased  on  board  a  trading  steamer  for  my  use. 

"  'Taiii't  no  use,  Phil.  You  needn't  run  arter 
'em,"  said  the  old  man,  shaking  his  head.  "  You 
don't  expect  to  run  fast  enough  to  ketch  Injuns 
on  hossback  —  do  you  ?  " 

On  second  thought  I  concluded  to  take  his 
view  of  the  matter. 

"But  we  can't  afford  to  lose  them  bosses, 
Phil,"  continued  old  Matt,  as  he  hobbled  to  a 


14  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

seat.  "  And  if  we  can,  them  Injuns  shan't  hev 
'em.  I  ain't  a-goin'  to  hev  old  Firefly  rid  by 
them  critters,  and  starved,  and  abused  —  I  ain't 
a-goin'  to  do  it !  Them  hosses  must  be  got  back. 
You're  gittin'  old  enough  to  do  sunthin'  with 
Injuns  now,  Phil,  and  you  must  git  them  hosses 
back  agin." 

"  I'm  ready  to  do  anything  I  can ;  but,  if  I 
can't  catch  the  Indians,  what  shall  I  do?"  I  re 
plied. 

"  We  can't  do  a  thing  in  the  field  without  them 
hosses,  Phil ;  and  'tain't  no  use  to  try.  We  can't 
plough  the  ground,  and  we  can't  haul  no  wood. 
We  must  hev  them  hosses  back  agin,  if  I  hev  to 
hobble  arter  'em  myself." 

"  What  can  I  do  ?  "  I  asked,  willing  to  fight  the 
Indians  if  necessary ;  and  I  was  rather  impatient 
over  the  amount  of  talk  the  old  man  bestowed 
upon  the  subject. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,  Phil.  Hosses  is  skuss 
with  them  varmints.  It's  been  a  hard  winter  for 
vagabonds  as  don't  lay  up  nothin'  for  cold  weather, 
and  they  lost  half  their  hosses  —  starved  'em  to 
death.  Them  critters  they  rid  on  Avan't  nothin' 
but  frames,  and  you  could  hear  their  bones  rattle 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         15 

when  they  trotted.  They  won't  go  far  on  them 
bosses  to-day,  for  it's  most  night  now." 

"  But  if  I'm  going  to  do  anything,  it's  time  to  be 
doing  it,"  I  suggested,  impatiently. 

"  Keep  cool,  boy ;  'tain't  time  to.  go  yet,"  added 
the  old  man,  lifting  one  leg  painfully  over  the  other 
with  his  hands.  "  About  dark,  them  Injuns  will 
camp  for  the  night,  and  that'll  be  the  time  to  take 
'em." 

"  Very  well ;  then  I  will  go  down  and  bring  up 
my  fish.  I'm  hungry,  Matt,"  I  added. 

"  So  am  I." 

"  While  they  are  cooking,  we  will  talk  the 
matter  over." 

"  Stop  a  minute,  Phil,"  said  Matt,  as  I  started 
for  the  river.  "  There  was  a  jug  of  fire-water 
in  the  barn.  I  left  it  there  this  arternoon.  I 
used  some  on't  to  wash  Firefly's  leg  where 
'twas  swelled  up.  Go  into  the  barn,  and  see 
if  it's  there  now." 

I  knew  what  the  old  man  was  thinking  about, 
and  I  went  in  search  of  the  jug.  I  could  not 
find  it,  and  so  reported  to  him. 

"1  didn't  think  o'  that  jug  before.  The  In- 
juns  come  into  the  castle,  and  asked  for  fire- 


16  FIELD   AND    FOREST,    OR 

water.  I  never  gin  'em  none,  and  shan't  begin 
now.  They  were  lookin'  for  bosses,  and  went  to 
the  barn.  They  took  that  jug  of  whiskey,  but 
it's  jest  like  camphene.  'Tain't  fit  to  drink  no 
more'n  pizen." 

"  They  will  get  drunk  on  it,"  I  added. 

"  They  kin  git  drunk  very  quick  on  such  stuff 
as  that,  and  they  won't  go  fur  afore  they  do 
it,  nuther." 

11  Then  I  can  very  easily  get  the  horses." 

"  If  you  work  it  right,  you  kin,  Phil ;  but  if 
they  are  crazy  drunk,  you  musn't  go  to  showin' 
yourself  to  'em.  Wait  till  they  go  to  sleep,  as 
they  will  when  they  git  drunk  enough.  Then 
take  your  hosses  and  come  home." 

"  I  will  go  down  and  get  the  fish,  Matt." 

"  Go,  boy." 

The  old  man  rose  with  difficulty  from  his 
seat,  and,  with  the  rifle  in  his  right  hand,  with 
which  also  he  was  obliged  to  handle  a  crutch,  he 
hobbled  into  the  Castle.  I  hastened  down  to  the 
river,  excited  by  the  prospect  of  an  adventure 
that  night  with  the  Indians.  I  was  a  boy  of  only 
thirteen,  and  the  idea  was  an  immense  one.  I 
was  to  go  out  into  the  forest  and  recapture  the 


THE   FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  17 

horses  —  an  undertaking  which  might  have  taxed 
all  the  skill  and  courage  of  a  person  of  mature 
age  and  experience.  But  I  considered  myself 
equal  to  the  mission  upon  which  I  was  to  be 
sent.  I  had  been  brought  up  in  a  log  cabin, 
and  even  as  a  child  had  made  long  hunting  and 
trapping  tramps  with  old  Matt  Rockwood.  I  had 
stood  before  angry  Indians,  as  well  as  thieving 
and  drunken  ones.  I  had  shot  deer,  bears,  and 
wolves,  as  well  as  smaller  game,  with  my  rifle. 

Old  Matt  had  always  taught  me  that  there 
was  nothing  in  the  world  to  be  afraid  of  but 
one's  own  self  —  a  philosophy  which  was  very 
pretty  in  theory,  but  not  always  capable  of  be 
ing  reduced  to  practice.  But  I  certainly  was 
not  afraid  of  an  Indian,  or  of  any  number  of 
them.  From  my  rough  old  guardian  I  had  ac 
quired  a  certain  contempt  for  them  ;  but  I  had 
never  passed  through  an  Indian  war  or  an  In 
dian  massacre.  I  had  heard  of  the  savage  Black- 
feet,  and  other  tribes,  who  were  not  to  be  con 
temned,  but  I  had  never  seen  any  of  them. 

I    hastily  completed    the   stringing    of  my  fish, 
thinking  all  the  time  how  I  should   conduct  the 
expedition  in  which  I  was  to  engage.     Indeed,  I 
2 


18  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

could  think  of  nothing  else ;  for,  although  I 
had  often  been  away  on  similar  excursions,  it 
was  always  in  company  with  my  guardian,  while 
on  the  present  occasion  1  was  to  manage  for  my 
self.  I  forgot  that  I  was  hungry,  and  only  lived 
in  the  brilliant  schemes  for  recovering  the  horses, 
capturing  the  camp,  and  even  wiping  out  the  In 
dians  themselves.  I  was  bent  on  desperate  deeds, 
and  intended  to  convince  old  Matt  that  I  was 
worthy  of  the  confidence  he  reposed  in  me. 

"  You  have  been  lucky  to  day.  Phil  Farring- 
ford,"  said  a  voice  near  me,  as  I  rose  from  the 
bottom  of  the  boat  to  step  on  shore. 

It  was  Mr.  Mellowtone,  an  old  neighbor  of 
ours,  who  had  squatted  on  an  island  in  the 
river.  He  was  a  good  friend  of  mine,  and  I 
regarded  him  with  the  utmost  love  and  respect. 
He  had  taught  me  to  read  and  write,  and  fur 
nished  me  books,  which  had  been  both  a  com 
fort  and  a  blessing  to  me. 

"  I  have  done  first  rate  to-day,"  I  replied. 
"  Won't  you  take  some  of  these  ? " 

"  Thank  you,  Phil  Farringford.  I  will  take 
two  or  three  of  them,  if  you  have  any  to 
spare." 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  19 

"  Take  as  many  as  you  can  use,  Mr.  Mellow- 
torie,"  I  continued,  removing  from  the  twig  some 
of  the  handsomest  of  the  fish. 

"  Enough,  Phil  Farringford.  I  am  not  a  swine, 
to  eat  more  than  six  pounds  of  trout  in  a  day," 
said  he,  with  a  smile. 

1  strung  them  upon  a  willow  twig,  and  handed 
them  to  him,  as  he  stood  in  his  barge  — a  very 
aristocratic  craft,  which  he  had  brought  with  him 
from  the  regions  of  civilization. 

"  I  must  be  in  a  hurry  now,  Mr.  Mellowtone. 
Won't  you  come  up  to  the  Castle  with  me  ?  The 
Indians  stole  both  of  our  horses  this  afternoon, 
and  I  am  going  out  after  them." 

"  That's  unfortunate,"  he  replied,  running  his 
barge  upon  the  bank.  "  I  will  walk  up  to  the 
Castle  with  you,  and  you  shall  tell  me  about  it." 

Securing  his  boat  to  the  stake,  he  followed  me 
up  the  bank  of  the  river ;  and  on  the  way  to  the 
house  I  told  him  what  had  happened  just  as  I 
returned  from  my  fishing  trip.  We  entered  the 
log  house,  where  old  Matt  had  kindled  a  huge 
fire  to  cook  our  evening  meal. 

"  Good  evening,  Mr.  Rockwood,"  said  my  friend, 


20  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

as  politely  as  though  he  had  been  speaking  to  the 
President  of  the  United  States. 

"  Your  sarvant,  Mr.  Mellowtone,"  replied  Matt, 
who  always  labored  to  be  as  courteous  as  his 
visitor,  though  not  always  with  the  same  success. 

"  You  have  been  unfortunate,  I  learn  from  Phil 
Farringford." 

"  Yes ;  them  pesky  redskins  is  gittin'  trouble 
some,  and  I'm  afraid  we  shall  hev  to  wipe  out 
some  on  'em." 

"  We  must  not  allow  them  to  steal,"  added 
Mr.  Mellowtone,  decidedly. 

"  No ;  Phil  is  goin'  out  arter  7em.  They  stole 
my  jug  of  fire-water,  and  they'll  be  as  drunk  as 
owls  afore  long." 

"  If  neither  he  nor  you  object,  I  will  go  out 
with  him." 

u  I  hain't  no  kind  o'  objection.  I  should  be 
much  obleeged  to  you  if  you  help  git  back  them 
bosses." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  go  with  me,  Mr. 
Mellowtone,"  1  replied,  as  I  put  the  pan  of  fish 
on  the  fire. 

We  were  all  of  the  same  mind. 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.         21 


CHAPTER  II. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL    FINDS   THE    CAMP   OF   THE   INDIANS. 

I  WAS  certainly  very  glad  to  have  Mr.  Mel- 
lowtone  go  with  me  on  the  expedition  after 
the  Indians ;  but  I  did  not  exactly  like  to  share 
the  glory  of  the  great  deeds  I  expected  to  do 
even  with  him,  though  ho  was  one  of  my  best 
friends.  However,  I  consoled  myself  with  the  re 
flection  that  his  pleasant  company  would  in  part 
compensate  me  for  the  share  of  the  glory  he 
would  appropriate. 

While  the  fish  were  on  the  fire,  I  set  'the 
table  in  the  best  style  that  the  contents  of  our 
meagre  China  closet  would  permit,  fur  our  dis 
tinguished  visitor  seldom  honored  us  by  taking 
a  meal  at  the  Castle,  and  I  was  anxious  to  make 
the  best  possible  appearance.  Measured  by  the 
standard  of  civilized  life,  the  result  was  not  a 
success ;  but  for  the  backwoods  it  was.  Our 


22  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

table  ware  was  mostly  of  tin,  dented  and  marred  at 
that;  but  we  had  one  crockery  plate,  and  I  de 
voted  that  to  the  use  of  our  honored  guest. 

If  the  table  ware  was  not  elegant,  the  fish  were 
infinitely  better  than  are  ever  set  before  the  pam 
pered  sons  of  civilization.  They  had  been  swim- 
ing  in  their  native  element  a  couple  of  hours 
before,  and  were  a  species  of  trout,  weighing  from 
a  pound  and  a  half  to  two  pounds  apiece.  Mr. 
Mellowtone  declared  that  they  were  delicious ; 
and  he  justified  his  praise  by  his  trencher  prac 
tice.  For  bread  we  had  cold  johnny  cake,  for 
we  were  out  of  flour,  as  no  trading  steamer  had 
passed  since  the  ice  in  the  river  broke  up. 
We  lived  well  at  the  Castle,  for  besides  the 
game  and  fish  supplied  by  the  woods  and  the 
rivers,  we  had  bacon,  pork,  potatoes,  and  vege 
tables  from  the  farm. 

"  Now,  Phil,  you  must  be  keerful,"  said  old 
Matt,  as  we  were  eating  our  supper.  "  Injuns 
is  wicked,  and  Injuns  is  cunnin'." 

"  I  will  try  to  be  careful,"  I  replied.  "  I  sup 
pose,  if  we  follow  Little  Fish  Creek,  we  shall 
find  the  Indians  before  morning." 

"  Yes,   you    will.     Go   through    the  forest,  and 


TEE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  23 

cross  the  brook.  Follow  the  path  till  you  come 
to  the  creek,  and  you'll  be  all  right.  The  var 
mints  hain't  got  no  feed  for  their  bosses,  and 
they  won't  go  fur  to-night." 

The  old  man  gave  us  directions  how  to  pro 
ceed  until  we  finished  the  meal ;  and  after  I  had 
put  things  in  order  about  the  house,  I  slung 
my  rifle  over  my  shoulder.  Mr.  Mellowtone 
had  no  weapon,  and  declared  that  he  needed 
none.  Just  at  dark  we  left  the  Castle,  and, 
crossing  the  field,  entered  the  forest.  There 
was  a  well-beaten  path,  so  that  we  were  in  no 
danger  of  losing  our  way.  We  crossed  the 
bridge  over  the  brook  which  bounded  the  farm 
on  the  north-west;  we  continued  our  course 
through  the  forest  till  we  reached  Little  Fish 
Creek,  at  the  point  where  it  flows  into  Big 
Fish  Creek.  All  the  names  of  streams  and  of 
localities  in  the  vicinity  had  been  given  by 
Matt  Rockwood.  The  brook  we  had  crossed 
was  called  Kit's  Brook,  because,  three  miles  from 
its  junction  with  the  Big  Fish,  lived  on  its  banks 
one  Kit  Cruncher,  an  old  hunter  and  trapper, 
who,  until  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Mellowtone,  five 
years  before,  had  been  Matt's  only  neighbor. 


24  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

We  followed  the  Little  Fisli  for  an  houf  with 
out  discovering  any  signs  of  the  Indians  or  the 
horses.  We  were  within  a  mile,  aeross  the  country, 
of  Kit  Cruncher's  cabin,  and  we  concluded  that 
the  thieves  would  not  deem  it  prudent  to  halt 
near  so  formidable  a  person  as  the  old  hunter 
had  proved  himself  to  be. 

"  Are  you  sure  we  are  on  the  right  track, 
Phil  Farringford  ?  "  asked  my  companion. 

"  We  are  on  the  right  road  to  the  Indian 
village,"  I  replied. 

"  Is  it  certain  that  the  thieves  came  from 
there  ?  " 

"  They  must  have  come  from  there,  for  I  don't 
know  of  any  other  Indians  within  forty  miles 
of  the  Castle." 

"  They  may  be  wandering  Dakotahs,  who  do 
not  stay  long  in  one  place." 

"  But  there  were  only  two  of  them,  and  Da 
kotahs  go  in  bigger  crowds  than  that,  Matt 
says  they  took  this  path,  and  I  saw  them  strike 
into  the  woods  myself." 

"  Doubtless  we  are  right,  then.  We  might  go 
over  to  Kit  Cruncher's,  and  inquire  if  ho  has 
seen  anything  of  the  thieves,"  suggested  Mr. 
Mellowtone. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         25 

"  I  am  sure  lie  has  not  seen  them ;  if  he  had, 
he  would  have  stopped  them.  And  the  Indians 
know  him  well  enough  to  keep  out  of  his  way. 
He  is  hard  on  Indians  when  they  don't  behave 
themselves." 

"  Very  well,  Phil  Farriugford.  You  are  the 
leader  of  this  expedition,  and  1  will  obey  your 
orders." 

"  1  hope  you  won't,  sir ;  at  least,  I  don't 
mean  to  give  you  any  orders,"  I  replied,  abashed 
at  the  humility  of  one  whom  I  regarded  as  the 
greatest  and  best  man  in  the  world. 

We  walked  in  silence  for  another  hour,  for 
my  companion  always  did  more  thinking  than 
talking.  I  led  the  way,  and  kept  both  of  my 
eyes  and  both  of  my  ears  wide  open,  expect 
ing  every  moment  to  come  upon  the  camp  of 
the  savages.  While  we  were  thus  cautiously 
tramping  through  the  forest,  1  heard  the  neigh 
ing  of  a  horse  behind  us. 

"  Hark  !  "  I  whispered  to  Mr.  Mellowtoue.  "  We 
have  passed  them." 

"How   can   that  be?" 

"  They  struck  off  from  the  river,  and  went 
into  the  woods  to  sleep.  That  was  old  Firefly's 


26  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 

voice,  1  know.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  heard 
us/' 

"  If  he  did,  perhaps  the  Indians  heard  us 
also." 

"If  they  have  that  jug  of  whiskey  with  them, 
they  are  too  drunk  to  hear  anything  by  this 
time." 

'•  We  must  look  for  the  place  where  they  left 
the  path." 

"  It  is  rather  dark  to  look  for  anything  to 
night,"  I  replied,  as  I  led  the  way  back. 

We  proceeded  with  great  care,  though  we 
made  noise  enough  to  apprise  Firefly  of  the 
approach  of  friends.  He  was  a  knowing  old 
horse,  and  had  faithfully  served  his  master  for 
ten  years,  but  was  still  a  very  useful  animal. 
I  fancied  that  he  despised  Indians  quite  as  much 
as  old  Matt  himself,  and  that  he  was  utterly 
disgusted  with  his  present  situation  and  future 
prospects.  Doubtless  he  was  very  uneasy,  and 
displeased  at  being  away  from  his  rude  but 
comfortable  stable.  The  grass  had  just  begun 
to  start  a  little  in  the  wet  soil,  and  as  our  stock 
of  hay  was  getting  low,  I  had  picketed  them 
with  long  ropes  where  they  could  feed.  In  this 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         27 

situation  they  had  become  an  easy  prey  to  the 

Indians. 

I  hoped  old  Firefly  would  speak  again,  and 
I  ventured  upon  a  low  whistle,  to  inform  him 
of  my  presence,  but  he  did  not  respond.  The 
other  horse  was  a  good  beast,  and  worked  in 
telligently  by  Firefly's  side  at  the  plough  and 
the  wagon ;  but  he  was  an  ignoramus  compared 
with  his  mate,  and  I  expected  nothing  of  him. 

"  They  can't  be  far  from  here,"  said  I,  as  I 
halted  and  whistled  again  a  little  louder  than 
before. 

"  We  must  examine  the  ground,  and  see  if 
there  are  any  horse  tracks,"  replied  Mr.  Mel- 
lowtone,  as  he  lighted  a  match  to  enable  us  to 
see  the  path. 

"Xo  tracks  here,"  I  added.  "They  all  lead 
the  other  way." 

';  Then  they   turned  in  farther  down." 

We  resumed  our  walk,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
we  examined  the  ground  again. 

"  Here  they  are,"  said  my  companion.  "  They 
turned  in  between  this  place  and  that  where 
we  stopped  last.  Whistle  again,  Phil  Farring- 
ford." 


28  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  We  are  farther  from  them  now  than  when 
I  heard  the  voice  of  old  Firefly/7  I  replied, 
after  I  had  whistled  in  vain  several  times. 

"  But  we  are  on  the  track  of  the  horses. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  that,"  answered  Mr. 
Mellowtone.  u  We  can  follow  their  trail  till  we 
find  where  they  left  the  path." 

"  I  hope  you  have  a  good  supply  of  matches." 

"  I  have  about  a  dozen  more." 

We  examined  the  path  in  several  places,  and 
at  last  found  that  the  Indians  had  left  it  to  fol 
low  a  small  brook  which  flowed  into  the  Little 
Fish.  I  whistled  at  intervals,  but  received  no 
response  from  Firefly.  The  stream  which  was 
our  guide  did  not  lead  us  far  from  the  creek. 

"  1  smell  smoke,"  said  Mr.  Mellowtone,  after 
we  had  proceeded  a  considerable  distance.  "  We 
are  not  far  from  them." 

"  1   don't  see  the   light  of  any   fire." 

"  Probably  it  has  burned  down  by  this  time, 
for  the  Indians  must  be  asleep." 

I  whistled,  and  this  time  a  very  decided  an 
swer  came  back  from  Firefly. 

"  We  are  close  by  them,"  said  I ;  and  invol 
untarily  we  slackened  our  pace. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         29 

''  I  am  afraid  the  noise  that  horse  makes  will 
awaken  the  Indians." 

"  They  are  beastly  drunk,  without  a  doubt,  and 
no  ordinary  sounds  will  rouse  them/'  I  replied. 
"  If  they  had  known  what  they  were  about,  they 
would  not  have  built  a  fire.  They  are  not  more 
than  two  miles  from  Kit  Cruncher's  cabin." 

In  silence,  then,  and  very  cautiously,  we  crept 
towards  the  bivouac  of  the  Indians.  In  a  few 
moments  I  saw  the  four  horses,  fastened  to  the 
trees ;  but  between  us  and  them  lay  the  ex 
tended  forms  of  the  two  Indians.  They  reposed 
•on  the  ground,  one  on  each  side  of  the  smoul 
dering  embers  of  a  fire  they  had  kindled  earlier 
in  the  evening.  The  faint  light  enabled  mo 
to  see  the  whiskey  jug,  lying  on  the  ground 
near  them.  The  cork  was  out,  and  it  was  evi 
dently  empty.  The  thieves  snored  so  that  the 
earth  seemed  to  shake  under  them,  and  I  was 
satisfied  that  they  were  as  drunk  as  human  be 
ings  could  be  and  live. 

We  made  a  circuit  around  the  sleeping  Indians, 
and  reached  the  place  where  the  horses  were 
fastened.  Firefly  neighed  and  danced  in  his  de 
light  at  seeing  me,  and  even  his  more  stolid  mate 


30  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

was  disposed  to  make  a  demonstration  of  joy ; 
for  both  animals  had  been  in  the  habit  of  spending 
their  nights  in  a  comfortable  stable.  The  horses 
of  the  Indians  were  as  they  had  ridden  them, 
wearing  their  bridles,  and  the  folded  blankets, 
which  served  as  saddles,  strapped  upon  their  backs. 

"  We  needn't  spend  much  time  thinking  about 
it,"  said  I,  after  I  had  patted  Firefly  on  the 
neck  to  assure  him  I  was  still  his  friend.  "  They 
have  nothing  but  halters  on  their  necks,  though 
we  have  only  to  mount  them,  and  they  will  go 
home  without  any  guiding." 

"  The  Indian  horses  have  saddles  and  bridles 
on,"  answered  Mr.  Mellowtone.  "  I  think  we 
had  better  do  as  the  redskins  did  —  ride  their 
horses,  and  lead  the  others." 

"  Shall  we  take  their  horses  ?  "  I  asked,  rather 
startled  by  the  proposition. 

"  Certainly ;  we  must  teach  them  a  lesson 
which  they  will  remember.  We  are  in  the  world 
as  instructors  of  those  who  are  less  wise  than 
we,  and  it  is  our  duty  to  impart  wisdom  to 
those  who  need  it." 

"  They  will  come  down  after  them,  when  they 
are  sober." 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         31 

"  They  will  do  that  if  you  take  only  your 
own  animals.  They  will  fight  just  as  hard  to 
recover  the  property  they  stole  as  to  obtain 
what  is  justly  their  own." 

Without  stopping  to  debate  the  matter  any 
further,  we  mounted  the  Indians'  horses. 


32  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 


CHAPTER  III. 

IN   WHICH   PHIL   TAKES   GOOD    CARE   OP   THE   HORSES. 

I  TOOK  old  Firefly's  halter  in  my  hand,  while 
Mr.  Mellowtone  had  that  of  our  other  horse. 
We  were  ready  to  start;  but  the  problem  of  reach 
ing  the  river  path  without  disturbing  the  Indians 
did  not  seem  so  easy  of  solution  as  at  first.  We 
intended  to  make  a  circuit  around  the  drunken 
thieves ;  but  I  found  the  underbrush  was  so  thick 
that  a  passage  with  the  horses  was  impossible. 
There  was  seldom  any  undergrowth  in  the  forest, 
but  this  place  appeared  to  have  been  chosen  by 
the  redskins  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  to  us 
the  very  difficulty  we  now  encountered. 

They  knew  that  they  must  be  pursued,  if  at  all, 
from  the  direction  of  the  Castle,  and  they  had  built 
their  fire  in  the  space  between  the  brook  and  the 
dense  undergrowth,  so  that  the  horses  could  not 
be  taken  back  without  passing  over  them.  I  had 


THE   FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  33 

visited  the  place  before,  and,  as  I  recalled  its 
peculiarities  to  my  mind,  the  difficulty  of  the 
situation  increased.  The  ground  was  low  and 
swampy,  and  though  I  had  easily  passed  through 
it  on  foot,  the  horses  could  not  go  through  with 
out  brushing  off  their  riders.  The  brook  had  its 
rise  in  the  low  ground.  We  could  cross  it,  but 
the  bushes  were  just  as  thick  on  the  other  side. 
We  tried  in  vain  to  find  a  passage  for  the  horses  ; 
and  it  occurred  to  me  then  that  the  Indians 
had  possibly  come  to  a  halt  here  because  they 
could  go  no  farther  in  this  direction.  I  did  not 
like  to  ride  over  the  drunken  thieves,  though 
this  seemed  to  be  our  only  means  of  passing  them. 
They  were  asleep,  and  snoring  like  the  heavy 
muttering  of  an  earthquake,  and  we  could  not  tell 
exactly  how  drunk  they  wTere.  It  was  possible 
that  they  were  still  able  to  use  their  rifles  and 
knives,  though,  if  they  had  drank  the  entire  con 
tents  of  the  whiskey  jug,  which  probably  was  not 
less  than  a  quart,  we  had  little  to  fear  from  them. 
Some  Indians,  however,  could  drink  a  pint,  and 
still  be  able  to  use  a  rifle,  while  others  would  be 
overcome  with  half  that  quantity. 
3 


34  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

"  We  can't  get  out  in  this  way,"  said  Mr.  Mel- 
lowtone,  after  we  had  vainly  sought  a  passage 
around  the  Indians. 

"  I  will  take  a  look  at  the  drunken  redskins,"  I 
replied,  dismounting,  and  fastening  my  two  horses 
to  a  sapling. 

1  walked  cautiously  to  the  spot  where  the 
Indians  lay.  1  threw  a  few  dry  sticks  on  the  fire, 
so  as  to  obtain  some  light  from  the  blaze.  1  found 
that  the  thieves  lay  on  a  knoll  between  the  brook 
and  the  swamp.  There  was  not  space  enough  on 
either  side  for  two  horses  to  pass  abreast  without 
stepping  over  or  on  their  sleeping  forms;  but  there 
was  no  other  way  for  us  to  get  out  of  the  trap. 
The  horses  might  pass  singly,  and  I  decided  at 
once  what  to  do. 

"  I  think  we  will  ride  the  Indian  horses,  and  let 
the  others  follow,"  said  I,  returning  to  my  com 
panion. 

'•'  But  they  may  take  it  into  their  heads  not  to 
follow." 

"  Firefly  will  go  as  straight  to  his  stable  as  he 
can,"  I  replied,  loosing  him,  and  securing  the 
halter  around  his  neck.  "  The  other  one  will  fol 
low  him." 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         35 

Mr.  Mellowtone  released  his  led  animal,  and  I 
mounted  my  steed.  The  latter  was  an  ugly  beast, 
as  he  must  have  been  from  the  force  of  associa 
tion.  I  urged  him  towards  the  Indians,  and  Fire 
fly  closely  followed  me.  The  horse  I  rode  was 
not  disposed  to  pass  the  fire  and  the  sleeping 
forms ;  but  I  pounded  his  naked  ribs  till  he 
changed  his  mind,  and  stepped  over  the  legs  of 
his  drunken  master.  Firefly  snorted,  and  sprang 
over  the  obstruction. 

"  Hoo ! "  shouted  the  savage,  over  whose  legs 
I  had  passed,  springing  to  his  feet. 

But  he  was  too  drunk  to  stand  up,  and  pitched 
over  upon  the  body  of  his  companion.  As  the 
path  was  now  clear  for  an  instant,  Mr.  Mellowtone 
urged  his  horse  forward,  and  joined  me.  Our 
other  horse,  which  I  had  always  called  Cracker, 
though  Matt  never  recognized  the  name,  followed 
without  making  any  sensation  whatever.  The 
fall  of  the  one  Indian  upon  the  other  had  awa 
kened  the  latter,  and  by  the  light  of  the  blazing 
sticks  I  saw  them  clutch  each  other.  Probably 
the  second,  in  his  tipsy  stupor,  supposed  the  first 
was  an  enemy,  having  designs  upon  his  life.  They 


36  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OE 

rolled  over  together,  and  in  the  struggle  the  legs 
of  one  of  them  were  thrown  upon  the  fire. 

Such  an  unearthly  yell  I  had  never  heard.  He 
was  not  so  drunk  that  fire  would  not  burn  him, 
and  the  pain  made  him  howl  like  a  wounded  buf 
falo.  They  rolled  and  struggled,  and  the  fire 
brands  were  scattered  in  every  direction.  In  a 
moment  they  sprang  to  their  feet,  but  only  to  fall 
again  upon  tlie  burning  brands  which  were  strown 
over  the  ground.  They  did  not  appear  to  see  us, 
though  we  had  halted  quite  near  them,  curious  to 
see  the  result  of  the  struggle. 

As  they  fell  upon  the  earth,  the  brands  burned 
them,  and  they  leaped  to  their  feet  again ;  but 
they  no  longer  grappled  with  each  other.  It  was 
now  only  getting  up  arid  falling  down,  and  this  con 
tinued  until  they  had  stumbled  out  of  the  circuit 
where  the  brands  had  been  strown.  Exhausted 
by  the  violence  of  their  exertions,  or  bewildered 
by  the  fumes  of  the  liquor,  they  lay  still,  and  we 
started  on  our  return  to  the  Castle.  If  the  Indians 
saw  us  at  all,  they  were  unable  to  follow  us  ;  and 
their  experience  seemed  to  point  the  moral  that, 
when  one  steals  horses,  he  must  not  steal  whiskey 
at  the  same  time. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.  37 

"  They  had  a  warm  time  of  it,"  said  my  com 
panion,  as  AVO  jogged  along  very  slowly  through 
the  forest,  for  the  horses  we  rode  could  not  be 
persuaded  to  go  faster  than  a  walk. 

"  I  am  glad  they  wasted  their  strength  upon 
each  other,  instead  of  us." 

"  What  a  condition  for  a  human  being  to  be  in !" 
added  Mr.  Mellowtone,  with  an  expression  of  dis 
gust. 

"  I  don't  see  why  Indians  take  to  whiskey  so 
readily.  It  is  a  curse  to  all  the  redskins  I  ever 
knew." 

"  It  is  a  curse  to  any  man,  red  or  white." 

"  I  never  saw  a  white  man  drunk." 

"  Your  experience  has  been  very  limited,  Phil 
Farringford." 

"  That's  very  true.  I  never  saw  much  of  the 
world,  but  I  hope  to  see  more  of  it  one  of  these 
days.  What  do  you  suppose  these  Indians  will  do 
when  they  become  sober?"  I  asked. 

"  No  doubt  they  will  try  to  get  back  their  horses. 
They  came  down  for  more,  and  they  go  back 
with  fewer,  unless  they  can  recover  them.  If  they 
behave  themselves  we  will  let  them  have  their 
own  horses.  We  don't  want  them.  " 


38  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

"  They  are  nothing  but  skin  and  bones." 

"  Very  likely  they  are  good  horses,  but  they 
have  been  starved  and  overridden." 

"  Old  Matt  won't  care  about  filling  them  out,  for 
we  haven't  more  than  grain  enough  to  carry  us 
through.  I  suppose  we  shall  see  these  redskins 
again  by  to-morrow." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  they  may  go  to  their  village 
first,  and  return  with  more  men." 

"  Well,  we  won't  borrow  any  trouble  about 
them.  When  they  come  we  will  take  care  of 
them.  We  shall  be  obliged  to  watch  our  horses 
after  this ;  for  I  would  rather  shoot  old  Firefly 
than  have  him  abused  by  those  redskins." 

"  They  are  not  worthy  to  possess  so  noble  an 
animal  as  the  horse.  But,  after  all,  the  white  man 
is  more  to  blame  for  their  present  degraded  condi 
tion  than  they  are  themselves.  Out  of  the  reach 
of  the  vices  of  civilization  there  are  still  noble  red 
men." 

"  I  never  saw  any  of  them,"  I  added,  rather  in 
credulously. 

We  continued  on  our  way  through  the  solemn 
forest,  and  by  the  side  of  the  rolling  river.  Old 
Firefly  and  Cracker  were  ahead  of  us,  but  we 


THE   FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  39 

could  hear  the  tramp  of  their  feet,  and  were  satis 
fied  that  they  were  on  the  right  track.  AVhen  we 
reached  the  Castle,  we  found  them  patiently  wait 
ing  at  the  stable  for  our  arrival.  I  opened  the 
door  for  them,  and  they  returned  to  their  quarters 
with  a  satisfaction  which  they  could  not  express. 
As  our  stock  of  hay  was  nearly  expended,  we  had 
room  enough  in  the  barn  for  the  two  Indian  horses. 
I  fed  all  the  animals  alike,  for  it  was  not  the  fault 
of  the  strangers  that  they  kept  bad  company. 

Old  Matt  had  gone  to  bed  when  we  went  into 
the  house,  but  he  wanted  to  know  all  about  our 
adventures ;  and,  when  I  had  told  him  the  story, 
1  was  pleased  to  hear  him  say  that  I  had  done 
well.  Late  as  it  was,  Mr.  Mellowtone  insisted 
upon  returning  to  his  home  on  the  island,  two 
miles  above  the  Castle  ;  but  he  promised  to  come 
down  early  the  next  day,  for  we  expected  trouble 
with  our  Indian  neighbors.  I  went  down  to  the 
river  with  him,  and  watched  his  barge  till  it  dis 
appeared  in  the  gloom  of  the  night.  I  was  begin 
ning  to  be  sleepy,  but  I  dared  not  go  to  bed,  fear 
ful  that  the  Indians  would  come  before  morning, 
and  steal  the  horses.  I  had  concluded  to  sleep  in 
the  barn,  if  at  all,  with  my  rifle  at  my  side,  so  as 


40  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

to  be  sure  that  no  accident  happened  while  I  was 
in  the  house. 

I  did  sleep  in  the  barn,  and  with  my  rifle  at  my 
side  ;  but  I  was  not  disturbed  by  the  visit  of  any 
redskins,  and  the  horses  were  all  right  in  the  morn 
ing.  1  led  them  alike  again,  and  watered  them  at 
the  brook.  Before  we  had  finished  our  late  break 
fast  in  the  Castle,  Mr.  Mellowtone  arrived. 

''  Have  you  seen  any  more  Indians,  Phil  Farring- 
ford  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  sir ;  but  we  expect  to  see  the  two  who 
stole  the  horses  very  soon." 

"  I  brought  my  rifle  with  me  this  time,"  he 
added.  "  I  saw  Kit  Cruncher  this  morning.  He 
says  there  is  a  band  of  Indians  in  the  woods  north 
of  him." 

"How  many?"  I  asked. 

"  He  saw  ten  together,  all  of  them  mounted,  and 
thinks  they  came  down  to  find  feed  for  their 
horses.  I  told  him  what  had  happened  here  yes 
terday,  and  he  says  there  will  be  trouble  before 
the  day  is  over." 

"Does  he  think  so?"  asked  old  Matt,  rather 
anxiously. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         41 

"  He  docs  ;  and  I  came  prepared  to  assist  you, 
if  need  be." 

"  Thank'e,  Mr.  Mellowtone.  Time  Avas  when  I 
didn't  want  no  help  agin  any  ten  of  these  yere 
redskins ;  but  the  rheumatiz  has  spiled  me,  and 
my  arm  shakes  so  I  can't  shoot  much  now,"  added 
old  Matt,  mournfully. 

"  Kit  said  he  would  come  here  immediately." 

"  Kit  is  a  good  neighbor,  and  is  allus  on  hand 
when  he's  wanted,  and  there's  any  Injuns  to 
shoot," 

At  that  moment  the  door  was  darkened  by  the 
appearance  of  Kit  Cruncher,  who  bowed  his  head, 
and  entered  without  ceremony. 


42  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IN  WHICH   PHIL   LOSES   AN   OLD   AND   VALUED   FRIEND. 

KIT  CRUNCHER  was  about  six  feet  and  a 
half  high,  and  it  was  necessary  that  he 
should  bow  his  head  when  he  entered  even  the 
humble  log  cabin  of  Matt  Rockwood.  He  wore 
a  cap  made  of  skins,  so  tall  that  it  seemed  to  add 
another  foot  to  his  height.  It  was  ornamented 
with  the  long,  bushy  tail  of  a  fox,  which  dangled 
on  one  side  like  the  tassels  from  the  cap  of  a 
hussar.  His  beard,  gray  and  massive,  was  more 
than  a  foot  long,  and  gave  him  a  patriarchal  as 
pect.  His  pants  were  stuffed  in  the  legs  of  his 
long  boots,  and  he  wore  a  kind  of  hunting  frock, 
which  reached  nearly  to  his  knees.  He  was  lean 
and  lank,  but,  annealed  in  the  hardships  of  back 
woods  life,  he  was  wiry  and  sinewy.  He  was 
about  fifty  years  old,  though  his  gray  hair  and 
beard  alone  appeared  to  betray  his  age.  He 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         43 

was  from  the  south ;  a  fine  specimen  of  the  real 
Kentucky  hunter — "half  horse  and  half  alligator." 

There  was  a  kind  of  stern  dignity  in  his  counte 
nance  that  always  awed  me,  though  I  knew  that 
Kit  had  a  kind  heart,  and  was  only  terrible  to 
those  who  injured  him  or  his  friends.  He  lived 
by  hunting  and  trapping,  and  always  had  a  large 
supply  of  peltries  to  dispose  of  whenever  a  trad 
ing  steamer  came  up  the  Missouri. 

"How's  yer  bones,  Matt?"  said  he,  dropping 
the  butt  of  his  long  rifle  upon  the  earthen  floor 
of  our  cabin. 

"  Poorly,  Kit,  poorly,"  replied  Matt,  "  I'm  about 
did  for  in  this  world.  I  can  shoot  no  more,  and 
couldn't  hit  the  moon  at  ten  paces." 

"  That's  ba<l ;  'cause  'pears  like  some  shootin' 
must  be  did.  There's  a  squad  o'  redskins  up 
above  me,  and  I  cal'late  they  mean  mischief,  if 
they  begin  by  stealin'  your  bosses.  We'll  git 
out  into  natur',"  said  Kit,  as  he  left  the  house, 
followed  by  the  rest  of  the  party. 

He  evidently  expected  a  visit  from  the  savages 
very  soon.  1  took  down  my  little  rifle  from  the 
brackets,  and  also,  at  Matt's  request,  carried  out 
his  long  weapon,  with  the  accoutrements.  We 


44  FIELD   AND    FOREST,   OR. 

were  all  rigged  for  the  war  path,  and,  for  my 
own  part,  I  was  never  so  much  excited  in  my 
life.  I  wondered  how  Kit  could  keep  so  cool. 
He  was  deeply  skilled  in  Indian  craft,  and  when 
he  thought  there  was  danger,  others  might  be  ex 
cused  for  adopting  his  opinion.  Old  Matt  seated 
himself  on  a  box  near  the  barn  door,  and  the 
rest  of  us  gathered  around  him. 

"  Them  Injuns  has  had  a  hard  winter  on't," 
said  Kit.  "  They  won't  git  their  gov'ment  money 
and  traps  for  a  month  yit,  and  they  are  half 
starved.  They've  lost  half  their  hosses,  and  all 
these  things  makes  'em  uirly.  But  1  didn't  think 

O  o    J 

o'  nothin'  till  I  heercd  they  stole  your  hosses,  and 
you  lied  theirs." 

"  I  never  lied    much  trouble  with   'em,"  added 

old  Matt.     "  They've  stole  my  hosses  afore,  but  I 

allus  got  'em  back,  as  I  did  this  time." 

"  When  an  Injun's  hungry,  he's  ugly." 

The  two  patriarchs  discussed    the  situation    at 

length,  while   I  listened  in    reverent  humility   to 

their  words.     Mr.  Mellowtone  smoked  his  pipe  in 

silence.     I    think    his  pipe   was   in    his  mouth    at 

least    two    thirds  of   the    time,  and  was    a  very 

great  comfort  to  him.     We  were  all  watching  the 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         45 

path  which  led  across  the  field  into  the  forest, 
ibr  this  was  the  only  approach  to  the  Castle  by 
the  land  side.  Matt's  farm —  as  he  called  it  — 
was  situated  between  two  deep  creeks,  the  Fish 
on  the  west  and  the  Bear  on  the  east.  Half  a 
mile  from  the  cabin,  in  the  midst  of  the  forest, 
was  a  lake,  through  which  flowed  Bear  Creek. 
Half  way  between  this  sheet  of  water  and  the 
Little  Fish  ran  Kit's  Brook,  on  the  bank  of 
which  was  a  path  leading  to  the  hunter's  cab 
in.  The  great  thoroughfare  to  the  north  was  by 
the  Fish,  and  this  was  the  only  practicable  way 
for  mounted  men,  and  was  the  road  by  which  the 
Indians  came  down  to  the  Missouri  to  exchange 
their  peltries  for  powder  and  whiskey. 

While  we  were  all  watching  the  spot  where 
the  path  entered  the  forest,  a  couple  of  red 
skins  emerged  from  its  shades,  and  hurried  to 
wards  the  Castle.  As  they  approached  we  all 
raised  our  rifles.  Even  old  Matt  rose  from  his 
seat,  and  prepared  to  use  his  weapon.  But  the 
savages  made  the  signs  of  peace  ;  and  Kit,  to 
whom  we  all  looked  for  inspiration  and  direc 
tion,  permitted  them  to  approach.  I  immedi 
ately  identified  them  as  the  two  who  had  stolen 


46  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

our  horses,  and  whom  I  had  seen  rolling  among 
the  burning  brands  the  night  before.  Their 
greasy  garments  showed  the  marks  of  fire,  and 
the  leggins  of  one  of  them  were  nearly  burned 
off. 

"  Those  are  the  redskins  who  stole  our  horses," 
said  I  to  Kit  Cruncher. 

"  Jest  so,"  replied  Kit,  as  the  savages  halted 
before  us. 

They  were  very  much  excited,  and  looked  de 
cidedly  ugly.  Their  eyes  were  bloodshot  after  the 
debauch  of  the  preceding  night,  and  their  eye 
balls  seemed  to  be  marked  by  the  fiery  nature 
of  the  liquor  they  had  drank. 

"  Ugh  ! "  growled  one  of  them,  shaking  his 
head. 

"Well,  old  Blower,  what  do  you  want?"  de 
manded  Kit,  straightening  up  his  tall,  gaunt 
form. 

"  Want  urn  bosses,"  snarled  the  Indian,  shaking 
his  head  violently,  as  though  he  was  so  ugly 
he  could  not  contain  himself. 

"D'ye  want  to  steal  some  bosses?"  added 
Kit,  sternly. 

"  Ugh !    White  man    steal    bosses !    Lose    urn 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         47 

two  bosses,"  howled  the  spokesman,  pointing  to 
the  barn. 

We  understood  what  he  meant.  He  evident 
ly  thought  it  quite  right  for  him  to  steal  our 
horses,  but  very  wicked  for  us  to  reciprocate 
in  the  same  manner. 

"  Well,  they  sarved  you  jest  as  you  sarved 
them.  You  stole  Matt's  bosses,  his  folks  stole 
yours.  That's  fair  play,"  added  Kit. 

"  No  steal  bosses  !  "  growled  the  Indian.  "  Give 
back  bosses." 

"  They  kin  hev  their  own  bosses.  I  don't 
want  'em,"  interposed  Matt.  "  They  ain't  fit  for 
scarecrows." 

"  Bring  'em  out,  Phil,"  said  Kit.  "  They  shall 
hev  their  own.  We  won't  wrong  an  Tnjun,  no 
how." 

I  led   out  the   bony  racks  which   the    Indians 
had  ridden,  and  delivered  them  to  their  owners. 

II  Now   you   kin  leave,"  added  Kit. 

"  Want  more  bosses,"  said  the  Indian  who 
spoke  this  pigeon  English,  and  which  the  other 
appeared  nut  to  be  able  to  do,  and  only  grunt 
ed  and  howled  his  anger  and  indignation. 

"  You  won't  git  no  more  bosses  here." 


48  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  Want  corn,  want  meat,  want  whiskey." 

"  Not  a  corn,  not  a  meat,  not  a  whiskey,"  re 
plied  Kit,  decidedly.  "  El'  you'd  come  as  a 
hungry  man,  we  mought  hev  fed  you." 

"  Big  Injun  come,  burn  house,  kill  white  man 
—  no  give  hoss  and  whiskey." 

"  Big  Injun  mought  git  shot,  cf  he  don't  be 
have  hisself." 

"  Ugh  ! " 

"  You  kin  leave,"  repeated  Kit,  significantly, 
as  he  raised  his  rifle. 

"  No  go,"  howled  the  Indian,  though  ho  re 
treated  a  few  paces,  and  plainly  did  not  like 
Kit's  cool  and  stiff  manner.  "  White  man  pap- 
poose  steal  um  hosses,  and  burn  Injun." 

The  speaker  stooped  down,  drew  aside  his  tat 
tered  leggin,  and  pointed  to  a  huge  blister  on  his 
leg,  made  by  the  fire  into  which  he  had  rolled 
in  his  drunken  frenzy.  Then  he  pointed  to  me, 
and  as  he  did  so,  his  bloodshot  eyes  lighted  up 
with  rage  and  malice.  I  understood  him  to 
charge  me  with  the  infliction  of  the  injury  upon 
his  leg.  Since  both  of  the  thieves  were  so  very 
drunk  when  we  were  at  their  camp,  I  did  not  at 
first  see  how  they  had  been  made  aware  of  my 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         49 

presence.  They  did  not  seem  to  see  me,  and  I 
concluded  that  they  had  identified  me  in  the 
morning  by  the  smallness  of  my  track  in  the 
soft  soil.  They  could  not  have  known  Avhat 
transpired  in  their  fury,  but  probably  reasoned 
that,  as  I  had  been  there,  and  taken  the  horses, 
I  had  burned  their  legs  also. 

"  I  did  not  do  it,"  I  protested,  hardly  able  to 
restrain  a  laugh,  as  I  recalled  the  ludicrous 
scene  of  the  night  before  at  the  camp  fire. 

I  explained  how  the  Indian  had  burned  himself. 

"  Pay  Injun  damage,"  added  the    injured  thief. 

"  Xary  red.  You  stole  whiskey,  got  drunk, 
and  rolled  into  your  own  camp  fire,"  answered 
Kit.  "You  kin  leave." 

The  tall  hunter  raised  his  rifle  again,  and  the 
two  Indians,  mounting  their  bony  steeds,  rode 
off,  yelling  in  the  fury  of  their  rage  and  dis 
appointment.  They  had  intended  to  obtain  some 
thing  more  than  their  horses.  Indeed,  the  In 
dians  never  visited  the  Castle  without  begging 
or  demanding  something,  always  whiskey,  and 
often  corn  and  meat. 

"  There's  more  on  ?em   up  there   somewhere," 
said  Kit,  as  the  thieves  rode  off. 
4 


50  FIELD    AND   FOREST,    OR 

"  Do  you  think  they  will  return  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Mellowtone. 

"  I'm  afeered  they  will.  Them  Injuns  is  ugly, 
and  I  reckon  they  mean  to  make  trouble.  They 
don't  ask  for  bread  and  meat ;  they  demand  'em. 
They  spoke  for  t'others  more'n  for  thcirselves. 
'Tain't  wuth  while  to  quarrel  with  'em  ef  you 
kin  help  it.  I  allus  give  'em  sunthin'  to  eat, 
when  they  are  hungry,  ef  they  ask  for't ;  but 
I  don't  let  'em  git  the  upper  hands  on  me. 
'Twon't  do." 

"  If  you  think  they  mean  to  attack  us,  don't 
you  think  we  had  better  prepare  to  defend  our 
selves  ? "  suggested  Mr.  Mellowtone. 

"  I'm  allus  ready,  and  I  am  now,"  replied 
Kit. 

"  So  am  I,"  added  old  Matt,  as  he  examined 
the  lock  of  his  weapon. 

"  But  we  might  do  something  to  make  a  bet 
ter  defence,"  said  Mr.  Mellowtone.  "  There  are 
ten  or  a  dozen  Indians,  you  think,  while  we  are 
but  four." 

"  What  kin  we  do  except  shoot  'em  when 
they  come  ? "  replied  old  Matt. 

"  There     is   a   bridge    over   the   brook    in   the 


THE   FORTUNES   OF    A    FARMER.  51 

woods  yonder,"  continued  Mr.  Mellowtone,  paus 
ing  to  permit  Kit  to  take  up  the  suggestion, 
if  he  chose. 

"  Yes,  there  is ;  and  it  cost  me  a  deal  of 
hard  work  to  make  it,"  said  Matt.  "  It  wan't 
an  easy  matter  to  get  a  hoss  over  afore  it  was 
put  up." 

"•  Precisely  so,  and  it  won't  be  an  easy  mat 
ter  now.  Therefore  I  think  we  had  better  take 
up  the  bridge,  and  make  the  brook  our  line  of 
defence." 

Kit  approved  the  plan,  and  we  hastened  to 
execute  it.  The  brook  ran  at  the  bottom  of  a 
deep  gully  as  it  approached  its  mouth,  and  for 
half  a  mile  it  was  impossible  to  take  a  horse 
over,  except  on  the  bridge.  We  removed  the 
logs  with  which  it  was  covered,  but  allowed 
the  string-pieces  to  remain.  Kit  thought  we 
could  do  better  if  we  prevented  the  Indians 
from  coming  over  on  their  horses. 

By  the  time  we  had  finished  our  work,  old 
Matt  had  hobbled  over  the  ground,  dragging  his 
rifle  after  him.  Just  as  lie  approached  we  heard 
the  yell  of  the  savages  on  the  other  side  of  the 
stream,  and  a  band  of  ten  dashed  up  to  the  po- 


52  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

sition.  Kit  told  us  to  got  behind  the  trees,  to 
guard  against  any  accident.  The  Indians  drew 
up  their  horses  when  they  discovered  that  the 
bridge  had  been  dismantled.  I  heard  the  crack 
of  a  rifle. 

Old  Matt  uttered  a  deep  groan,  and  dropped  to 
the  ground,  shot  through  the  heart. 

In  his  Aveak  condition  he  had  not  been  able  to 
reach  the  shelter  of  a  tree  in  season  to  save  him 
self.  We  knew  now  what  the  savages  meant. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         53 


CHAPTER  V. 

IN  WHICH   PHIL    FOLLOWS    KIT    CRUNCHER. 

OLD  Matt  Rockwood,  my  friend  and  protector, 
the  friend  and  protector  of  my  childhood, 
was  dead. 

Ten  years  before,  he  had  taken  me  to  his  home 
and  his  heart,  and  since  that  time  had  done  for  me 
all  that  his  limited  means  would  permit.  He  had 
been  a  father  to  me,  and  the  bullet  that  sped 
through  his  heart  lacerated  mine. 

All  that  1  could  remember  of  existence  was 
associated  with  the  Castle  and  its  vicinity,  though 
I  was  not  born  there.  I  knew  nothing  of  my 
parents,  and  nothing  of  the  circumstances  under 
which  I  had  come  into  the  world.  Ten  years 
before,  while  upon  a  hunt,  Matt  Rockwood  had 
wrapped  himself  up  in  his  blanket,  and  slept  on 
the  bank  of  the  Missouri,  about  a  dozen  miles 
below  the  Castle.  It  was  in  the  spring,  and  the 


54  FIELD    AND   FOREST,   OB 

water  was  very  high,  for  the  melting  snows  in 
the  mountains  had  swelled  the  mighty  stream  to 
its  fullest  volume. 

A  bright  light  awoke  the  hunter  in  the  evening, 
and  he  discovered  a  steamer  on  fire  in  the  river, 
only  a  short  distance  below.  Launching  his  ba 
teau,  in  which  he  had  come  down  the  stream,  he 
paddled  with  all  his  might  to  the  scene  of  disaster. 
The  pilot  had  run  the  steamer  ashore ;  but  before 
those  on  board  could  escape,  —  for  the  fire  was  in 
the  forward  part  of  the  boat,  —  the  swift  current 
carried  her  off  again,  and  she  descended  the 
stream  at  a  rapid  rate.  Matt  paddled  after  her ; 
but,  half  a  mile  below  the  point  where  the  steamer 
had  run  ashore,  he  heard  the  wail  of  a  child,  very 
near  him. 

The  light  from  the  burning  boat  enabled  him  to 
see  the  child.  It  was  floating  on  a  door,  which 
had  evidently  been  put  into  the  water  to  support 
its  helpless  burden.  Matt,  who  often  told  me  the 
story,  believed  that  the  child's  father,  or  some 
other  person,  had  intended  to  ferry  the  little  one 
on  shore  in  this  manner,  when  the  steamer  had 
been  run  aground.  Probably  the  starting  of  the 
boat  had  defeated  his  plan,  or  possibly  the  person 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         55 

who  was  trying  to  save  the  child  had  lost  his  hold 
on  the  door.  There  was  no  one  near  the  little 
raft.  Matt  took  the  young  voyager  on  the  great 
river  from  its  perilous  situation.  It  was  benumbed 
with  cold,  and  he  wrapped  it  in  his  blanket,  and 
laid  it  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

Hardly  had  he  accomplished  this  humane  task 
before  the  boilers  of  the  burning  steamer  ex 
ploded,  and  she  was  instantly  a  wreck  on  the 
swift  tide.  Matt  paddled  his  bateau  as  swiftly  as 
possible,  but  he  was  unable  to  overtake  the  mass 
of  rushing  fire.  He  shouted  occasionally,  in  order 
to  attract  the  attention  of  any  sufferer  ;  but  no 
one  responded  to  his  call.  Though  he  searched 
diligently,  he  was  unable  to  find  another  survivor 
of  the  terrible  calamity. 

The  little  child  thus  saved  from  the  fire  and 
the  water  was  myself. 

Matt  took  his  charge  to  the  shore,  made  a  fire, 
warmed  it,  and  fed  it  with  buffalo  meat  and 
soaked  cracker.  Wrapping  the  little  stranger  in 
his  blanket,  he  pressed  him  to  his  bosom,  and  both 
slept  till  morning.  The  next  day,  with  the  child 
in  his  bateau,  he  renewed  the  search  for  any  sur 
vivors  of  the  calamity.  He  could  find  none  ;  but 


56  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

months  afterwards  he  read  in  an  old  newspaper  he 
had  obtained  from  a  trading  steamer,  that  another 
boat  had  passed  down  the  river  and  picked  up  a 
few  persons  ;  but  neither  the  names  of  the  lost 
nor  of  the  saved  were  given. 

Loading  his  bateau  with  as  much  buffalo  meat 
as  it  would  carry,  Matt  started  for  the  Castle  with 
his  new  charge  ;  but  the  current  of  the  swollen 
river  was  so  swift  that  it  was  night  before  he 
arrived.  At  this  point  in  his  story,  I  used  to  ask 
iny  kind  protector  whether  he  tried  to  find  out 
anything  more  about  me.  He  always  answered 
that  he  was  unable  to  obtain  any  information  ;  but, 
after  I  was  old  enough  to  understand  the  matter 
better,  he  confessed  that  he  did  not  wish  to  dis 
cover  the  friends  of  the  child.  After  he  had  taken 
care  of  it  for  a  few  months,  he  became  so  attached 
to  it  that  he  was  only  afraid  of  losing  the  little 
waif. 

I  was  only  two  years  old  when  I  was  thus  cast 
upon  the  protection  of  the  old  squatter.  He 
watched  over  me  and  cared  for  me  with  all  the 
tenderness  of  a  mother,  and  I  became  a  stout  and 
healthy  child.  The  plain  food  and  the  wholesome 
air  of  the  wilderness  gave  vigor  to  my  limbs. 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.         57 

The  old  man  took  care  of  me  like  a  woman  when 
I  had  the  maladies  incident  to  childhood,  and  I 
passed  safely  through  the  whole  catalogue  of 
them. 

The  steamer  which  had  been  burned  was  the 
Farringford,  and  Matt  had  read  the  name  on  her 
paddle-box.  He  gave  it  to  me  as  a  surname,  to 
which  he  prefixed  Philip  as  a  Christian  name, 
simply  because  it  suited  his  fancy.  With  such  a 
charge  on  his  hands  Matt  was  unable  to  make  any 
hunting  expeditions  for  several  years;  but  he  had 
already  begun  to  turn  his  attention  to  farming. 
His  only  neighbor  at  that  time  was  Kit  Cruncher, 
with  whom  he  exchanged  corn  and  pork  for  game 
and  buffalo  meat."  Matt  was  disposed  to  indulge 
more  in  the  comforts  of  civilization  than  the  hunt 
ers  and  trappers  generally  do.  He  sold  wrood  to 
the  steamers  that  passed,  and  thus  obtained  money 
enough  to  purchase  clothing,  groceries,  and  other 
supplies. 

When  I  was  about  seven  years  old  Matt  began 
to  take  me  with  him  when  he  went  hunting  and 
fishing,  and  I  soon  learned  to  be  of  some  service 
to  him.  I  acquired  all  the  arts  of  the  backwoods 
man,  and  soon  became  quite  skilful.  I  worked  in 


58  FIELD   AND   FOREST,    OB 

the  field,  and  tramped  a  dozen  miles  a  day  with 
him.  I  was  tough  and  sinewy,  and  knew  not  the 
meaning  of  luxury.  My  clothes  were  made  by  old 
Matt,  until  I  was  able  with  his  help  to  manufacture 
them  myself. 

It  was  a  fortunate  thing  for  me  that  Mr.  Mellow- 
tone  established  himself  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Castle,  for  he  took  an  interest  in  me,  and  taught 
me  to  read  and  write.  He  was  a  singular  man ; 
but  I  shall  have  more  to  say  of  him  by  and  by. 
Until  he  came,  I  spoke  the  rude  patois  of  Kit  and 
Matt ;  but  Mr.  Mellowtone  taught  me  a  new  lan 
guage,  and  insisted  that  I  should  speak  it. 

Matt  had  been  a  pioneer  in  Indiana,  but  had 
afterwards  engaged  in  trade  and  foiled.  His  ill 
success  had  driven  him  into  the  far  west  to  re 
sume  his  pioneer  habits.  Even  then  he  had 
passed  the  meridian  of  life ;  but  he  cleared  up  a 
farm,  and  had  been  prosperous  in  his  undertakings. 
The  sale  of  wood  and  the  produce  of  the  field  to 
the  steamers  brought  in  considerable  money,  and 
he  had  supplied  himself  with  all  needed  farm  im 
plements,  so  that  we  were  able  to  work  to  ad 
vantage.  We  had  a  grist-mill,  turned  by  horse 
power,  which  enabled  us  to  convert  our  corn  into 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  59 

meal.  We  raised  pigs,  and  always  had  an  abun 
dant  supply  of  pork  and  bacon. 

I  was  about  thirteen  years  old  when  my  story 
opens.  I  was  contented  with  my  lot,  though  I 
was  occasionally  troubled  to  ascertain  who  my 
parents  were.  Matt  had  no  doubt  they  were  both 
dead,  since  no  inquiries  had  ever  been  made  for 
the  lost  child.  Some  day  I  expected  to  visit  the 
regions  of  civilization,  and  see  the  great  world. 
Only  twice  in  my  life  had  I  seen  any  white 
women,  at  least  within  my  memory.  They  were 
on  the  deck  of  a  steamer,  lying  at  our  wood-yard 
near  the  mouth  of  Fish  Creek.  I  had  a  reason 
able  curiosity,  which  1  hoped  to  gratify  when  I 
was  older.  For  the  present,  I  was  willing  to 
cleave  to  old  Matt,  as  he  had  to  me. 

But  now  the  old  man  lay  upon  the  ground,  silent 
and  motionless.  The  crack  of  the  rifle  which  had 
sent  the  ball  to  his  heart  was  still  ringing  in  my 
ears.  It  was  almost  instantly  followed  by  another, 
and  I  saw  a  burly  savage  drop  from  his  horse,  and 
roll  over  into  the  brook.  Kit  Cruncher  had  fired, 
and  was  loading  his  rifle  for  a  second  shot.  It  was 
fortunate  that  we  had  removed  the  logs  from  the 


60  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

bridge,  fo,'  the  Indians  were  kept  at  bay  by  the 
deep  gully  in  which  the  brook  flowed. 

When  the  big  Indian  fell,  his  comrades  set  up  a 
fierce  howl,  for  he  seemed  to  be  the  leader  of  the 
band.  Mr.  Mellowtone  fired  next;  but  his  aim 
was  less  certain  than  that  of  the  hunter.  For  my 
own  part,  heedless  of  the  howling  savages,  I  stood 
behind  the  tree  gazing  at  the  prostrate  form  of 
old  Matt.  I  wept  bitterly,  and  should  have  thrown 
myself  upon  his  body  if  Kit  had  not  sternly  com 
manded  me  not  to  move. 

The  savages  were  not  long  in  discovering  that 
all  the  advantage  was  on  our  side,  and,  with  a 
ringing  whoop,  they  turned  their  horses  and 
retreated  a  short  distance. 

"  They  are  unhossing  theirselves,"  said  Kit. 
"  Don't  move,  boy  !  " 

"  Matt  is  shot !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I  must  go  to 
him." 

"  Don't  go,  boy.  You  can't  help  him  any  now, 
and  you  mought  git  shot  if  you  show  yourself. 
Don't  do  it,  boy." 

"  Is  Matt  dead  ? "  I  asked,  trembling  with 
emotion. 


THE   FORTUNES   OP   A   FARMER.  61 

"  Dead  as  a  hammer,"  replied  Kit.  "  He'll  never 
move  hisself  again.  Hold  still,  boy." 

"  He  may  be  alive,  and  I  want  to  do  something 
for  him,"  I  insisted. 

"  He  hain't  moved  since  he  dropped,  and  I 
know  by  the  way  he  went  over  that  it's  all  up 
with  Matt.  Don't  throw  your  life  away,  boy." 

"  Poor  Matt,"  sighed  Mr.  Mellowtone,  from  his 
position  near  us.  "  It  is  a  sad  day  for  him,  and 
for  us." 

"  Keep  your  eyes  wide  open,  or  some  o'  the 
rest  on  us  will  smell  the  ground,"  added  Kit. 
"  The  redskins  is  git-tin'  down  into  the  brook." 

The  savages  retreated  to  a  point  on  the  stream, 
where  they  dismounted,  evidently  with  the  inten 
tion  of  crossing.  They  picketed  their  horses,  and 
we  judged  that  they  meant  to  complete  the  work 
which  they  had  begun. 

"  We  must  follow  them  up,"  continued  Kit. 
"  Boy,  take  Matt's  rifle,  and  follow  me." 

I  bent  over  the  form  of  the  fallen  patriarch.  I 
placed  my  hand  upon  his  heart,  but  there  was  no 
answering  throb.  He  was  indeed  dead,  and  my 
whole  frame  was  shaken  with  convulsive  grief. 

"Don't  stop  there,  boy!"  called  Kit. 


62  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  He  is  dead  !  "  I  groaned  in  bitterness  of  spirit. 

"  I  know  lie  is,  boy ;  but  we  can't  help  it.  We 
can't  stop  to  cry  now." 

"  My  best  friend  !  " 

"  Come,  boy  !  "  shouted  Kit.  "  Bring  his  rifle, 
powder,  and  ball." 

1  wiped  the  tears  from  my  eyes,  but  I  could  riot 
banish  the  sorrow  from  my  heart.  Gently  I  raised 
the  head  of  the  old  hunter,  and  removed  the  pow 
der-horn  and  bullet-pouch  which  were  suspended 
over  his  shoulder.  Picking  up  the  rifle,  which 
lay  near  him  on  the  ground,  I  followed  my  com 
panions  into  the  forest.  I  felt  then  that  I  could 
shoot  an  Indian  without  any  remorse. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  63 


CHAPTER  VI. 

IN    WHICH     PHIL     ASSISTS     IN     THE     BUILDING     OF    A 
BLOCK    HOUSE. 

KIT  CRUNCHER  was  a  prudent  man,  brave 
as  he  was.  We  did  not  therefore  march 
boldly  through  the  forest,  for  there  were  only 
three  of  us  against  four  times  as  many  Indians. 
We  dodged  from  tree  to  tree,  always  keeping  our 
bodies  sheltered  from  the  bullets  of  the  savages. 
Kit  went  along  near  the  brook,  and  presently  I 
saw  him  raise  his  rifle  and  fire.  The  shot  was 
followed  by  a  wild  yell  from  the  savages. 

"  Give  me  Matt's  rifle,  boy,"  said  Kit,  as  he 
passed  me  his  own,  with  his  powder-horn  and  ball- 
pouch.  "  Load  that,  boy." 

With  his  eye  still  on  the  spot  where  he  had  seen 
the  Indian,  he  told  me  how  much  powder  to  put  in 
his  rifle,  and  to  be  sure  and  ram  the  ball  home.  I 


64  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

loaded  it  as  quickly  as  I  could,  but  he  did  not  find 
another  opportunity  to  fire. 

"  Did  you  hit  the  one  you  fired  at,  Kit?  "  1  asked. 

"  I  hit  him,  but  I  didn't  kill  him.  They  won't 
cross  the  brook  in  that  place.  I'm  afeerd  they'll 
scatter  next.  Howsomever,  we've  did  enougli 
out  here.  We'll  go  back  to  the  bridge.  That's 
the  safest  place  for  us.  I  don't  hear  'em  now ; 
and  that's  a  bad  sign  with  Injuns." 

"  Where  are  they  ?  " 

"  They  was  trying  to  cross  the  brook  when  1 
fired  last  time.  They  hev  got  behind  the  trees 
now.  We  must  git  nearer  the  Castle,  or  they'll 
drop  in  atweon  us." 

Kit  led  the  way,  and  Mr.  Mellowtone  and  my 
self  followed  him,  dodging  from  tree  to  tree,  until 
we  reached  the  bridge.  A  couple  of  shots,  fired 
by  the  enemy,  assured  us  they  were  on  the  watch, 
though  none  of  us  was  injured. 

"  'Tain't  no  use  to  stay  here,"  said  Kit.  "  The 
brook  is  a  good  line  agin  bosses,  but  not  agin 
Injuns  afoot." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  replied  Mr.  Mellowtone. 
"  When  I  spoke  of  the  brook  as  a  line  of  defence, 
I  considered  the  enemy  as  mounted  men." 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.         65 

"  The  Castle  is  the  best  place  for  the  rest  of  this 
fight/"' 

"  But  the  Indians  can  cross  the  brook,  and  then 
lay  down  this  bridge  again/'  suggested  Mr.  Mel- 
lowtone. 

"  Set  them  sticks  afire,  boy/'  added  Kit,  point 
ing  to  the  heap  of  logs  we  had  removed  from  the 
bridge.  "  It  will  be  easier  to  cut  some  more  than 
to  let  the  redskins  use  them." 

Mr.  Mcllowtone  gave  me  a  card  of  matches,  and 
I  piled  up  some  dry  sticks  against  the  heap,  which 
I  set  on  fire.  While  I  was  thus  employed,  my 
companions  made  a  litter,  on  which  they  placed 
the  body  of  Matt.  As  we  could  neither  see  nor 
hear  the  savages,  we  concluded  they  had  gone 
larther  up  the  brook  to  find  a  crossing.  We 
waited  till  the  fire  had  nearly  consumed  the 
bridge  material,  and  then  started  for  the  Castle. 
Kit  and  Mr.  Mellowtoue  bore  the  litter,  while  I 
carried  two  rifles.  It  was  a  mournful  procession 
to  me,  and  my  companions  were  sad  and  silent. 
I  knew  that  Kit  grieved  at  the  loss  of  his  old 
friend  ;  but  he  was  only  grave  and  solemn,  as  he 
always  was. 

When  we  reached  the  Castle,  the  body  of  the 
5 


66  FIELD   AND    FOREST,    OR 

old  man  was  placed  upon  his  bed,  and  we  left  the 
room  to  prepare  for  the  defence  of  the  place.  It 
was  not  in  the  nature  of  the  Indians  to  go  away 
without  further  wreaking  their  vengeance.  Be 
sides,  the  Castle  was  rich  in  plunder  to  men  pressed 
with  want,  and  even  with  hunger.  We  must  ex 
pect  a  visit  from  them  by  night,  if  not  before. 

The  Castle  was  a  log  cabin,  containing  only  a 
single  room,  with  the  chimney  on  the  outside,  and 
next  to  the  river.  On  the  other  side  was  built  the 
barn,  which  was  twice  as  large  as  the  house. 
They  were  joined  together,  so  as  to  save  the  labor 
of  building  one  wall,  as  well  as  for  convenience  in 
winter.  The  building  stood  on  a  kind  of  ridge, 
which  was  the  "  divide  "  between  Bear  Creek  and 
Kit's  Brook.  From  one  stream  to  the  other  the 
land  was  cleared,  and  included  in  the  farm.  The 
forest  line  was  within  a  hundred  and  fifty  rods  of 
the  river. 

We  had,  therefore,  an  open  space  from  stream 
to  stream,  three  miles  long  by  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  rods  wide,  from  which  Matt  Rock\vood 
had  cut  off  the  wood,  hauling  it  to  the  landing- 
place  at  the  mouth  of  Fish  Creek  for  the  steamers. 
Only  a  portion  of  this  territory  had  been  culti- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         67 

vated,  though  all  of  it  was  used  for  crops  or  for 
pasture.  Kit  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  we 
could  defend  ourselves  better  in  the  open  space 
than  in  the  woods,  so  long  as  we  were  able  to 
prevent  the  Indians  from  dashing  suddenly  upon 
us  on  horseback. 

"  Our  army's  small/'  said  the  old  hunter,  as  we 
met  again  in  front  of  the  Castle.  "  We  must  see, 
and  not  be  seen." 

"  We  can  stay  in  the  Castle,  and  fire  out  the 
windows,  then,"  suggested  Mr.  Mellowtone. 

"  That  won't  do.  It  hain't  but  two  winders, 
and  none  on  the  wood  side,"  replied  Kit.  "We 
must  make  a  block  house,  or  sunthin'  o'  that  sort. 
Here's  plenty  of  timber  sticks." 

He  pointed  to  the  pile  of  wood  which  we  had 
hauled  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Castle  during  the 
milder  days  of  the  winter,  when  Matt  was  able  to 
be  out.  The  sticks  were  about  eight  feet  long, 
and  suitable  for  such  a  stockade  as  I  had  seen 
at  the  fort  twenty  miles  up  the  Missouri. 

"  You  mean  to  build  a  fort  ? "  asked  Mr.  Mel 
lowtone. 

"  That's  jest  what   I   mean,"    replied   Kit ;  "  a 


68  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

kind  of  a  den  we  kin  fire  out  on,  and  will  turn  c 
bullet  at  the  same  time." 

"  Where  shall  we  put  it?" 

u  Jest  on  the  ridge  back  of  the  barn.  Then 
we  kin  see  the  whole  clearin',  and  draw  a  bead 
on  a  Injun  jest  as  quick  as  he  shows  his  head. 
We  hain't  no  time  to  lose,  nuther." 

"  I'm  ready,"  replied  Mr.  Mellowtone,  throw 
ing  off  his  coat. 

"  Fetch  on  the  shovels,  boy,"  added  Kit. 

I  furnished  them  with  picks  and  shovels,  and 
went  to  the  high  ground  in  the  rear  of  the  barn. 
We  carried  all  the  arms  with  us.  Kit  marked 
out  a  circle  about  ten  feet  in  diameter,  outside 
of  which  we  began  to  dig  a  trench.  The  ground 
was  soft  for  the  first  foot,  and  the  work  easy. 
Below  this  the  labor  was  very  severe.  We 
watched  the  woods  all  the  time,  that  the  Indiana 
might  not  surprise  us.  We  were  out  of  the 
range  of  their  rifles,  and  only  by  coming  into 
the  open  space  could  they  fire  with  any  chance 
of  hitting  us.  We  found  they  were  not  disposed 
to  waste  powder,  and  we  judged  that  their  sup 
plies  of  ammunition  were  as  low  as  those  of  food. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  69 

At  noon  I  was  relieved  from  work  to  get  some 
dinner  for  my  companions.  I  went  back  to  the 
Castle  and  built  a  lire.  The  form  of  Matt  lay 
on  the  bed  in  the  room  where  I  was  at  work, 
covered  over  with  the  quilt.  I  put  the  fish  and 
potatoes  on  the  fire,  but  I  could  not  refrain  from 
crying.  I  had  often  before  attended  to  my  do 
mestic  work  while  the  old  man  lay  in  the  bed, 
but  he  was  never  so  still  as  now.  He  did  not 
speak  to  me,  and  did  not  know  that  I  was  there. 
I  could  not  help  looking  frequently  at  the  bed, 
and  gazing  at  the  outline  of  his  form  beneath  the 
quilt.  His  death  might  change  the  whole  cur 
rent  of  my  destiny,  but  I  did  not  think  much  of 
that  then.  I  dwelt  only  upon  the  loss  I  had  sus 
tained,  recalling  the  kindness  of  the  old  man  to 
me.  I  was  glad  then  to  think  that  I  had  always 
done  my  best  to  serve  him ;  that  I  had  tenderly 
and  devotedly  nursed  him  in  sickness,  as  he  had 
me ;  and  this  thought  was  a  very  great  comfort 
to  me. 

When  I  had  cooked  the  dinner,  I  carried  it  out 
to  the  site  of  the  block  house,  and  witli  our  faces 
to  the  forest  we  ate  it,  We  were  a  sad  and  a  silent 
party.  For  ten  years  before  I  had  not  eaten  a 


70  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

meal  except  in  the  presence  of  him  who  was  now 
no  more.  Kit  said  not  a  word  about  his  lost 
friend ;  but  Mr.  Mellowtone,  seeing  how  badly  I 
felt,  tried  to  comfort  me. 

After  dinner,  my  companions  resumed  their 
labors;  but  Kit  directed  me  to  commence  carting 
the  timber  to  the  block  house.  I  put  away  the 
dishes,  and  harnessed  the  horses  to  the  wagon. 
The  sticks  were  only  three  or  four  inches  in  diam 
eter,  and  I  loaded  them  without  difficulty.  By 
the  time  I  had  hauled  a  sufficient  number  for  the 
structure,  the  trench  was  deep  enough,  and  we  all 
went  to  work  setting  up  the  sticks.  We  placed 
them  on  the  inside  of  the  ditch,  propping  them  up 
with  others,  until  we  had  a  dozen  up,  when  we 
began  to  throw  in  the  dirt  around  them,  jamming 
it  down  with  a  maul. 

After  a  beginning  was  made,  I  was  directed  to 
set  up  the  sticks,  while  Kit  threw  in  the  earth, 
and  Mr.  Mellowtone  rammed  it  down.  Once  in 
every  four  feet  I  was  required  to  put  in  a  stick 
only  five  feet  long,  so  that  above  it  there  was  an 
opening  three  inches  wide,  which  formed  a  loop 
hole  from  which  the  rifles  could  be  discharged  at 
the  enemy.  The  trench  was  two  feet  deep,  leav- 


THE   FORTUNES    OP    A    FARMER.  71 

ing  the  bottom  of  the  loophole  three  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  ground. 

As  none  but  the  straightest  sticks  were  used  in 
the  works,  the  cracks  were  very  narrow ;  but  the 
earth  was  to  be  heaped  up  to  the  bottom  of  the 
loopholes  against  the  outside,  thus  making  the 
structure  absolutely  bullet-proof  for  three  fe-et 
from  the  ground.  By  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
the  sticks  were  all  set,  and  the  trench  filled  up. 
A  space  a  foot  and  a  half  wide  was  left  on  the  side 
next  to  the  barn,  for  a  door.  I  nailed  together  a 
sufficient  number  of  sticks,  putting  cross-pieces  of 
board  over  them,  to  fill  this  space,  and  serve  as  a 
door.  In  the  mean  time  my  friends  shovelled  the 
dirt  against  the  outside  of  the  palisades ;  and  be 
fore  sundown  the  work  was  completed,  and  we 
were  ready  for  the  Indians  as  soon  as  they  wished 
to  make  an  attack. 

"  No  doubt  this  fort  is  a  great  institution ;  but 
the  Indians  will  come  upon  us  in  the  night,  when 
we  can't  see  them,"  said  Mr.  Mellowtone. 

"  But  we  must  see  'em,"  replied  Kit. 

"  The  nights  are  rather  dark  now." 

"  There  is  plenty  of  pitch  wood,  and  we  can 
make  it  as  light  as  we  please." 


72  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

"  That's  your  plan  —  is  it  ?  " 

"  That's  the  idee.  We  must  keep  the  fires  up 
all  night,  and  one  pair  of  eyes  wide  open." 

"  It's  a  pity  we  haven't  my  twelve-pounder 
here,"  added  Mr.  Mellowtone. 

"  I  reckon  you'll  hev  to  fotch  it  down,  Mr. 
Mell'ton." 

"  I  would  if  1  could  leave." 

"  I  reckon  we  kin  stand  it  one  night." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  stay  here  any  longer,"  I  added, 
sorrowfully.  "  Matt  is  dead,  and  I  don't  care 
much  where  I  go." 

"  You'll  git  over  that,  boy,  one  of  these  days. 
You  kin  kerry  on  the  farm  and  do  well  here," 
added  Kit.  But  I  reckon  we  must  plant,  the  old 
man  to-night." 

He  meant,  to  bury  him  ;  and  while  they  were 
digging  a  grave  near  the  block  house,  I  made  a 
rude  coffin  of  some  boards  we  had  saved  for 
another  purpose.  It  was  the  saddest  job  I  had 
ever  done,  and  my  tears  fell  continually  on  the 
work.  I  carried  the  box  into  the  house,  and  my 
companions  laid  the  silent  old  man  in  it.  I  took 
my  last  look  at  the  face  of  my  venerable  friend, 
and  the  lid  was  nailed  down.  We  bore  him  to 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.         73 

his  last  resting-place,  as  the  shades  of  night  were 
gathering  around  us.  Mr.  Mellowtone  was  to 
make  a  prayer  at  the  grave,  and  had  knelt  upon 
the  ground  for  that  purpose,  when  we  heard 
the  wild  yell  of  the  savages  on  the  border  of 
the  forest. 


FIELD   AND    FOREST,   OR 


CHAPTER  VII. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  AND  HIS  FRIENDS   GUARD  THE  CASTLE. 

WE  had  realized  all  day,  while  building  the 
block  house,  that  we  were  watched  by 
the  Indians,  and  that  whenever  a  favorable  op 
portunity  was  presented,  they  would  make  a 
dash  upon  us.  The  dusk  of  the  evening  now 
favored  them,  and  I  think  they  understood 
what  we  were  doing.  But  the  movement  on 
their  part  was  premature,  for  it  was  still  light 
enough  to  enable  us  to  see  an  Indian  anywhere 
in  the  clearing. 

"  Run  for  the  block  house  !  "  said  Kit  Crunch 
er,  leading  the  way  with  long  strides. 

It  was  only  a  few  rods  distant,  and  we  rushed 
in  before  the  savages  were  near  enough  to  use 
their  rifles,  which  were  not  of  the  best  quality. 
Our  four  weapons  rested  against  the  palisades, 
loaded  and  ready  for  instant  service. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         75 

"  Shut  the  gate,  boy,"  continued  Kit,  as  he 
thrust  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  through  a  loop 
hole. 

I  closed  and  barred  the  gate  with  the  heavy 
timber  I  had  prepared  for  the  purpose.  Before 
I  had  done  so,  Kit  fired,  and  I  heard  an  awful 
yell  from  the  savages. 

"  There  goes  one  of  them."  said  Mr  Mellowtone. 

"  I  shall  fotch  down  one  every  time  I  shoot," 
replied  Kit,  calmly,  as  he  picked  up  the  rifle 
of  old  Matt.  "  Load  my  piece,  boy,  and  be  sure 
you  ram  the  ball  home." 

"  They  have  come  to  a  halt,"  added  Mr.  Mel 
lowtone,  as  he  discharged  his  rifle. 

"You  didn't  hit  notliin',  Mr.  MelPton,"  said 
Kit,  quietly,  as  he  gazed  through  the  loophole 
in  front  of  him. 

"  I  see  that  I  missed  my  aim  that  time.  Well, 
it's  too  late  now ;  they  are  running  away  again." 

"  They  kin  no  more  stand  it  to  be  shot  at 
than  they  kin  live  without  eatin',"  added  Kit, 
as  he  set  the  rifle  against  the  palisades.  "  They 
was  go'n  to  run  up  and  shoot,  because  they  see 
we  hadn't  nary  gun  in  our  hands.  We  kin  leave 
this  place  now." 


76  FIELD   AND   FOREST,  OR 

The  Indians  had  disappeared  in  the  forest, 
bearing  with  them  the  body  of  the  one  who  had 
fallen.  We  left  the  block  house,  after  making 
sure  that  our  rifles  were  in  condition  for  use 
at  the  next  attack. 

"  We  mought  light  the  fires  now,  afore  we 
finish  planting  Matt,"  said  Kit.  "  But  I  don't 
reckon  them  Injuns  will  come  agin  jest  yit." 

"  1  should  not  think  they  would  come  at  all," 
added  Mr.  Mellowtone.  "  They  have  lost  two 
of  their  number,  and  one  or  two  have  been 
wounded." 

"  We've  lost  one  man,  too,"  replied  Kit.  "  That 
gin  'em  courage  to  go  on." 

"  But  they  are  sure  of  losing  more  the  mo 
ment  they  show  themselves.  I  should  think 
they  would  get  tired  of  the  game." 

"  They'll  wait  till  they  think  it's  safe  afore  they 
come  agin.  Now  light  up  the  fires,  boy." 

While  I  had  the  horses  harnessed,  I  had  hauled 
a  supply  of  pitch-wood  and  other  fuel  for  this 
purpose,  and  had  prepared  two  heaps,  one  on 
each  side  of  the  block  house,  in  readiness  to 
apply  the  match.  I  lighted  them,  and  the  com 
bustible  wood  blazed  up,  and  cast  a  red  glare 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         77 

upon  all  the  clearing.  Kit  Cruncher's  calcula 
tion  was  fully  justified,  and  we  were  satisfied 
that  no  Indian  could  approach  the  Castle  with 
out  our  knowledge,  if  we  only  kept  a  vigilant 
watch. 

Again  we  gathered  around  the  coffined  form  of 
old  Matt.  Mr.  Mellowtone  knelt  at  the  head  of  the 
grave,  and  we  followed  his  example.  He  prayed 
fervently  and  solemnly  for  both  Kit  and  me, 
and  I  wept  anew  when  he  recounted  the  virtues 
of  the  deceased.  I  forgot  that  there  were  any  In 
dians  within  a  thousand  miles  of  me,  as  I  re 
called  the  kindness  of  him  who  was  now  lying 
cold  and  silent  before  me. 

Mr.  Mellowtone  finished  the  prayer,  and  we 
lowered  the  rude  coffin  into  the  grave.  Not  one 
of  us  spoke  a  word,  and  there  was  no  sound 
to  be  heard  but  the  crackling  of  the  fires,  and 
the  sobs  I  tried  in  vain  to  repress.  I  was  un 
utterably  sad  and  lonely.  I  felt  that  no  one  on 
the  broad  earth  could  take  the  place  of  Matt, 
and  be  to  me  what  he  had  been.  The  current 
of  existence  seemed  to  have  come  to  a  sudden 
stop,  and  in  my  thought  I  could  not  make  it 
move  again. 


78  FIELD   AND    FOREST,   OB 

My  companions  filled  up  the  grave,  and  1 
watched  the  operation  with  a  swelling  heart.  I 
saw  them  place  the  sods  on  the  mound  they  had 
heaped  up,  and  more  than  before  I  realized  that  I 
was  never  again  to  behold  the  face  from  which  had 
beamed  upon  me,  for  ten  long  years,  so  much 
of  love  and  joy.  I  thought  of  the  old  man  press 
ing  me  as  a  little  child  to  his  heart  on  the  banks 
of  the  Missouri,  when  he  had  saved  me  from 
the  cold  and  the  waters.  I  considered  the  days, 
months,  and  years  of  care  and  devotion  he 
had  bestowed  upon  me  —  upon  me,  who  had  not 
a  single  natural  claim  upon  his  love. 

"  Come,  boy,  don't  stand  there  any  longer," 
said  Kit  Cruncher,  calling  to  me  from  the  vi 
cinity  of  the  block  house.  "  You  may  git  shot." 

I  turned,  and  found  that  my  companions  had 
left  me  alone.  I  joined  them,  and  with  an  ef 
fort  repressed  the  flowing  tears.  I  tried  to  re 
alize  that  I  was  still  living,  and  that  there  was 
a  future  before  me. 

"  I  know  you  feel  bad,  boy ;  but  'tain't  no 
use  to  cry,"  said  Kit.  "  We'll  take  good  care 
on  you." 

"  Matt  has  been  very  good  to  me,"  I  replied. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  79 

"  That's  truer'n  you  know  on,  boy.  Many's 
the  time  he  sot  up  all  night  with  you  when 
you  was  sick,  and  held  you  in  his  arms  all  day. 
I've  been  twenty  miles  to  the  fort  in  the  dead 
o'  winter  myself  to  git  some  medicine  for  you. 
If  Matt  hed  been  a  woman,  he  moughtn't  have 
missed  you  any  better." 

11  Tm  very  grateful   to  him,  and  to  you." 

"  I  know  you  be,  boy.  You  took  good  care 
of  old  Matt  when  he  was  down  with  the  rheu- 
matiz.  You've  been  a  good  boy,  and  I  don't 
blame  you  much  for  cryin'  now  the  old  man's 
dead  and  gone.  I  think  we  will  have  sunthin' 
to  eat  now." 

I  went  to  the  Castle,  and  prepared  a  supper 
of  fried  bacon  and  johnny-cake,  which  I  carried 
to  the  block  house.  My  companions  ate  as  though 
life  had  no  sorrows ;  but  we  had  all  worked 
very  hard  in  the  construction  of  our  fortress, 
and  the  circumstances  did  not  favor  the  devel 
opment  of  much  fine  sentiment.  I  carried  the 
supper  things  back  to  the  Castle,  washed  the 
dishes,  gave  the  pigs  their  supper,  watered  and  fed 
the  horses,  and  then  returned  to  the  block  house. 
Kit  had  brought  an  armful  of  hay  from  the  barn, 


80  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

and  some  blankets  from  the  house,  with  which 
he  had  prepared  sleeping  accommodations  for 
two  of  the  party.  Mr.  Mellowtone  was  walking 
up  and  down  between  the  two  fires,  smoking 
his  pipe,  and  doing  duty  as  sentinel. 

"  Now,  boy,  you  kin  turn  in  and  sleep,"  said 
Kit.  "  Mr.  Mell'ton  kin  sleep  too,  and  I  will 
keep  an  eye  on  the  Injuns.  Tears  like  they 
won't  come  when  they  finds  we  are  all  ready 
for  'em." 

"  I'm  not  sleepy,  Kit,"  I  replied ;  "  but  I'm 
rather  tired." 

"  You  mought  turn  in  and  rest,  then,"  replied 
Kit,  as  ho  left  the  block  house. 

Mr.  Mellowtone,  relieved  by  the  old  hunter,  soon 
joined  me.  I  lay  down  on  the  hay,  and  cov 
ered  myself  with  a  blanket.  My  friend  sat  down 
on  the  ground  and  smoked  his  pipe.  I  could 
not  sleep.  Old  Matt  was  in  my  mind  all  the 
time.  I  continued  to  see  him  fall  before  the 
bullet  of  the  savage,  and  I  still  saw  him  lying 
silent  and  motionless  on  the  ground. 

"  I  think  the  Indians  will  be  shy  about  com 
ing  here  again,"  said  Mr.  Mellowtone,  after  I 
had  rolled  about  on  my  bed  for  a  time;  and 


THE   FORTUNES   OF    A    FARMER.  81 

I    think    ho    spoke    to    turn    my    thoughts    away 
from  tho  engrossing  subject  which  burdened  me. 

"  I  wish  they  had  not  come  at  all.  They  have 
made  it  a  sad  day  for  me,"  I  replied,  bitterly. 

"  You  mustn't  take  it  too  hardly,  Phil  Far- 
ringford." 

'•How   can  I  help  it?" 

"  It  is  not  strange  that  you  weep ;  but  you 
are  young,  and  your  spirits  are  buoyant.  You 
will  feel  better  in  a  few  days." 

"  What  is  to  become  of  me  now  ? "  1  asked. 
"  Old  Matt  is  gone,  and  I  need  stay  here  no 
longer." 

"Why  not?  You  can  carry  on  Matt's  farm, 
with  the  help  of  Kit  and  me.  You  have  done 
most  of  the  work  for  the  last  year,  and  you  can 
get  along  as  well  in  the  future  as  you  have  in 
the  past." 

"  Shall  I  live  here  alone  ?  " 

"  Of  course  you  may  do  as  you  please.  You 
are  your  own  master  now,  as  not  many  boys  of 
your  age  are.  But  it  is  rather  early  now  to 
consider  a  matter  of  so  much  importance." 

"  What  should  I  do  if  the  Indians  came  upon 
me  ?  " 

6 


82  FIELD   AND    FOREST,   OR 

"You  would  defend  yourself,  as  you  do  now. 
But  the  Indians  will  be  taken  care  of.  As  soon 
as  we  can  send  word  up  to  the  fort,  the  officer 
in  charge  will  detail  a  force  to  punish  them  for 
what  they  have  done,  and  secure  our  safety  in 
the  future.  I  have  been  in  this  vicinity  for 
five  years,  and  this  is  the  first  time  I  have 
known  any  serious  difficulty  with  the  savages." 

Mr.  Mellowtone  smoked  his  pipe  out,  and  then 
lay  down  by  my  side.  In  a  few  moments  he 
dropped  asleep.  I  was  very  tired  after  the  severe 
labor  of  the  day,  and  I  had  been  up  most  of 
the  preceding  night.  Nature  at  last  asserted  her 
claim,  and  I  slept. 

When  I  awoke,  the  sun  was  shining  in  through 
the  loopholes  of  the  block  house.  Kit  Cruncher 
lay  by  my  side,  still  fast  asleep.  I  realized  that 
the  Indians  had  not  made  an  assault  during  the 
night.  I  rose  carefully,  stepped  over  the  long 
gaunt  form  of  the  stalwart  hunter,  and  left  the 
fortress.  Mr.  Mellowtone  was  walking  up  and 
down,  with  his  pipe  in  his  mouth,  between  the 
expiring  embers  of  the  fires,  which  had  been 
permitted  to  go  out  at  daylight. 

"  Why    didn't    you    call   me,   and   let  me   take 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         83 

my  turn  on  the  watch,  Mr.  Mellowtone?"  I 
asked,  after  the  sentinel  had  given  me  a  pleas 
ant  greeting. 

"  Kit  told  me  not  to  call  you,  and  I  did  not 
intend  to  do  so,  Phil  Farringford.  You  are  a 
boy,  and  you  need  sleep." 

"  I'm  willing  to  do  my  share  of  the  watch 
ing." 

"  You  shall  take  your  turn  to-night.  We 
can  do  nothing  to-day  but  eat  and  sleep.  If 
you  will  give  us  some  breakfast,  we  shall  be 
ready  for  it." 

"  I  will  —  right  off.  Have  you  seen  anything 
of  the  Indians  ?  " 

"  No ;  not  one  of  them  has  ventured  into  the 
clearing.  Being  ready  for  them  is  more  than 
half  the  battle.  I  doubt  whether  they  trouble 
us  again  at  present.  We  have  taught  them  a 
lesson  they  will  not  soon  forget." 

"  Yes ;  and  they  have  taught  us  one  which 
we  shall  not  soon  forget,"  I  added,  glancing  at 
the  mound  over  the  grave  of  Matt  Rockwood. 

I  went  to  the  Castle,  made  a  fire,  and  while 
the  kettle  was  boiling  I  attended  to  the  horses. 
I  cooked  some  fish  and  potatoes,  and  we  break- 


84  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OK 

fasted  between  the  block  house  and  the  forest. 
All  day  long  we  watched  and  waited  for  the 
coming  of  the  savages ;  but  we  heard  nothing 
of  them.  At  night  I  took  the  first  watch,  and 
walked  around  the  Castle,  keeping  up  the  fires, 
till  I  was  so  sleepy  I  could  hardly  keep  my 
eyes  open ;  and  then,  as  a  matter  of  prudence 
rather  than  comfort,  I  called  Kit. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         85 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

IN  WHICH    PHIL   SEES   THE    FIRST   YOUNG    LADY   HE 
EVER   SAW. 

WE  were  rather  tired  of  this  life  of  inactiv 
ity  after  a  couple  of  days.  We  watched 
for  Indians,  but  none  came  ;  and,  on  the  third  day 
after  the  death  of  Matt  Rockwood,  Kit  declared 
his  intention  to  take  a  tramp  into  the  woods  in  the 
direction  of  his  own  cabin.  If  he  found  any  In 
dians  he  would  return  ;  but  he  was  satisfied  that 
the  party  who  had  made  the  attack  expended  all 
their  provisions,  and  were  obliged  to  retire  to  ob 
tain  more. 

"  I  shall  be  atween  you  and  the  Injuns  all  the 
time,  boy,"  said  he. 

"  I  am  not  afraid,  Kit ;  and  I'm  very  grateful  to 
you  for  what  you  have  done  for  me  —  and  for 
Matt,"  I  replied,  walking  with  him  towards  the 
brook. 


86  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

"  Matt  and  I  was  good  friends  ;  but  all  that's 
passed  and  gone.  I  shall  come  back  in  a  few  days 
—  sooner  ef  there's  any  Injuns  round.  Good 
by,  boy." 

He  walked  across  the  brook  on  one  of  the 
stringers,  and  disappeared  in  the  forest.  Mr. 
Mellowtone  was  also  impatient  to  depart.  He 
had  been  away  from  his  home  on  the  island  for 
several  days.  In  the  afternoon,  as  Kit  did  not 
return,  we  concluded  the  enemy  had  retired,  and 
my  friend  embarked  in  his  barge  for  home  ;  but 
he  promised  to  return  before  night.  I  was  alone 
then,  and  I  walked  about  the  farm  thinking  of 
Matt.  Whichever  way  I  turned,  there  was  always 
something  to  remind  me  of  him. 

I  could  not  help  considering  my  prospects  for 
the  future.  I  had  concluded  to  carry  on  the  farm 
that  season,  though  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  liv 
ing  all  alone.  Mr.  Mellowtone  said  nothing  about 
taking  up  his  residence  with  me,  though  I  had 
suggested  the  idea  to  him.  I  knew  that  he  was 
fond  of  solitude  for  a  large  portion  of  his  time. 
He  was  too  much  enamoured  of  his  island  to  leave 
it.  Kit's  habits  would  not  permit  him  to  settle 
down  and  dwell  in  a  house,  for  though  he  had  a 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  87 

cabin,  he  did  not  live  in  it  except  in  the  winter. 
If  I  carried  on  the  farm,  I  must  do  it  alone,  though 
I  should  doubtless  receive  frequent  visits  from  my 
neighbors. 

I  walked  about  the  farm  thinking  what  I  should 
do  the  coming  season,  and  I  laid  out  work  enough 
to  keep  me  well  employed  till  the  coming  of  the 
autumn.  I  intended  to  plant  ten  acres  in  corn, 
potatoes,  and  vegetables.  Fortunately  the  soil 
was  easily  worked,  and  I  had  no  doubt  of  my 
ability  to  perform  the  labor,  with  the  aid  of  the 
horses  and  the  implements  at  my  command.  I 
walked  till  I  had  arranged  my  plans,  and  then 
went  into  the  Castle  to  consider  them  further. 

My  thoughts  wandered  away  from  the  practical 
duties  of  the  farm  to  the  past.  I  recalled  the 
scene  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri,  where  Matt 
had  folded  mo  in  his  arms  by  the  bivouac  fire. 
He  was  not  my  real  father,  though  he  had  done  all 
a  parent  could  do  for  me.  I  had  had  a  real  father 
and  mother,  who  probably  believed,  if  they  were 
saved  from  the  calamity,  that  I  had  perished. 
The  subject  was  full  of  interest  to  me.  Perhaps 
my  parents  had  been  saved,  and  still  lived.  Matt 
had  told  me  that  one  half  of  the  people  on  board 


FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

the  Farringford  had  been  picked  up  by  the  steam 
er  that  passed  the  next  morning. 

The  more  I  thought  of  this  subject,  the  more 
curious  and  anxious  I  became.  I  glanced  at  a 
large  chest,  which  stood  near  the  head  of  the  bed. 
It  contained  all  the  valuables  of  Matt,  and  he  al 
ways  kept  it  locked.  I  had  never  known  him  to 
open  it,  except  when  he  had  sold  a  lot  of  wood, 
and  wished  to  put  away  the  money.  Although  he 
never  said  anything  about  it,  I  thought  he  did 
not  wish  me  to  see  what  the  chest  contained. 
He  kept  it  locked,  it  seemed  to  me,  to  prevent 
me  from  opening  it,  for  there  was  no  other  person 
who  was  likely  to  meddle  with  it.  I  respected 
his  wishes,  though  he  never  expressed  them,  and 
refrained  even  from  looking  at  him  when  he 
opened  the  chest.  There  must  be  money  in  it ; 
but  that  was  of  no  use  to  me,  except  when  the 
trading  steamers  came  along. 

I  was  sure  that  it  was  not  to  keep  me  from 
meddling  with  the  money  that  my  patriarchal 
friend  locked  the  chest.  There  was  something 
in  it,  I  fancied,  which  was  connected  with  the 
mystery  of  my  parentage.  Though  it  did  not 
occur  to  me  then,  I  have  thought  since  that  Matt 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        89 

Rockwood  did  very  wrong  in  not  trying  to  ascer 
tain  who  my  father  and  mother  were.  Even  Kit 
Cruncher  had  insisted  upon  his  doing  this ;  but 
after  he  had  loved  me  and  cared  for  me,  he  could 
not  permit  me  to  be  taken  from  him.  I  could  for 
give  him  because  of  his  tenderness  and  affection 
for  me  ;  but  even  these  could  not  justify  his  con 
duct. 

I  rose  from  the  bench  on  which  I  was  seated, 
and  walked  across  the  room  to  the  chest.  It  was 
locked  ;  but  where  was  the  key  ?  Old  Matt  had 
always  carried  it  in  his  pocket,  and  I  concluded 
that  it  had  been  buried  with  him.  Had  it  been 
in  my  possession  I  should  have  opened  the  chest ; 
but  I  had  not  the  courage  to  break  it  open.  I 
resumed  my  seat  on  the  bench,  and  the  mystery 
of  my  parentage  seemed  to  become  awful  and 
oppressive.  Why  could  I  not  know  whether  my 
father,  or  mother,  or  both,  were  alive  or  dead  ? 
But  all  was  dark  to  me,  and  I  could  not  penetrate 
the  veil  which  hung  between  me  and  those  who 
had  given  me  being. 

While  I  was  thinking,  I  heard  the  whistle  of  a 
steamer,  frequently  repeated,  indicating  that  she 
wanted  a  supply  of  wood.  I  hastened  to  the  sta- 


90  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

ble,  and  mounted  Cracker,  for  the  landing-place 
was  a  mile  from  the  Castle.  By  the  time  the  boat 
had  made  fast  to  the  tree,  which  served  as  a  moor- 
ing-stake,  I  reached  the  wood-yard.  We  had  one 
hundred  cords  of  cotton-wood  piled  up  in  readiness 
for  sale. 

"  Hallo,  Phil  Rockwood,"  said  the  captain,  cross 
ing  the  gang-plank  to  the  shore.  "  Where  is  your 
father  ?  " 

"  He  is  dead,  sir,"  I  replied,  gloomily  enough, 
for  the  scene  reminded  me  very  strongly  of  Matt, 
and  this  was  the  first  time  I  had  been  called  upon 
to  make  a  bargain  myself. 

"  Dead  !  I  am  sorry  for  that.  When  did  he 
die  ?  "  added  the  captain,  with  an  appearance  of 
real  regret. 

"  He  was  shot  by  the  Indians  four  days  ago." 

"  Shot !     Well,  that's  too  bad." 

"  I  wish  you  would  tell  the  commander  of  the 
fort  above  all  about  it." 

"  I  will,  certainly.  But  what  do  you  ask  for 
wood  ?  " 

"  Matt  Rockwood  said  he  must  have  four  dollars 
a  cord  now,  for  we  have  to  haul  it  farther  than  we 
used  to,"  I  replied. 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.        91 

"  That's  rather  high." 

But  I  stuck  to  the  price  which  Matt  had  fixed, 
and  the  captain  finally  agreed  to  it,  though  it  was 
more  than  we  had  ever  charged  before.  We  meas 
ured  off  twenty  cords,  and  the  deck  hands  of  the 
steamer  began  to  carry  it  on  board.  While  they 
were  thus  engaged,  I  told  the  captain  all  about 
our  difficulty  with  the  Indians,  and  he  was  confi 
dent  that  the  commandant  of  the  fort  would  send 
a  force  to  chastise  them. 

While  the  boat  was  wooding  up,  the  passengers 
went  on  shore,  and  walked  in  the  woods  to  vary 
the  monotony  of  the  tedious  voyage.  Among 
them  I  observed  a  young  lady  of  twelve  or  thir 
teen,  the  first  I  had  ever  seen  in  my  life  of  the 
white  race.  I  gazed  at  her  with  curiosity  and 
interest,  as  she  walked  up  the  cart  path  towards 
the  castle.  She  was  alone,  for  the  other  passen 
gers  took  the  road  on  the  bank  of  the  brook. 
She  was  very  prettily  dressed,  and  the  sight  of 
her  gave  me  a  new  sensation.  I  saw  two  ladies, 
but  they  were  watching  the  labors  of  the  deck 
hands,  and  did  not  leave  the  steamer. 

"  You  have  some  passengers,  captain,"  said  I, 
wishing  to  introduce  the  subject,  so  that  I  could 
inquire  about  the  young  lady. 


92  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  A  few,  but  it  is  rather  too  early  in  the  season 
for  them.  Mine  is  the  first  boat  this  year,"  he 
replied. 

"  Where  are  these  "ladies  going?  " 

"  They  are  going  to  Oregon  —  Portland,  I  be 
lieve." 

"  Who  is  that  young  lady  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  She  is  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  ladies  on 
deck,  and  a  very  pretty  girl  she  is,  too.  Her  name 
is  Ella  Gracewood." 

The  hands  had  nearly  finished  loading  the  wood, 
and  the  captain  ordered  the  bell  to  be  rung  and 
the  whistle  to  be  blown,  in  order  to  call  back  his 
passengers,  who  were  wandering  about  on  shore. 
He  paid  me  eighty  dollars  in  gold  for  the  wood  ; 
for  in  this  wild  region  we  used  only  hard  coin,  and 
did  not  believe  in  banks  hundreds  or  thousands  of 
miles  distant.  I  took  the  money,  and  with  a  por 
tion  of  it  purchased  a  barrel  of  flour,  a  keg  of 
sugar,  a  quantity  of  ground  coffee,  and  some  other 
supplies  needed  at  the  Castle.  The  steamer  hauled 
in  her  plank,  and  casting  off  her  hawser,  renewed 
her  long  voyage  up  the  river.  Mounting  Cracker, 
I  rode  back  to  the  Castle,  and  harnessed  both 
horses  to  the  wagon,  in  order  to  haul  up  the  stores 
I  had  purchased. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         93 

While  I  was  thus  employed,  I  saw  the  young 
lady,  who  had  landed  from  the  steamer,  walking 
very  deliberately  across  the  field  from  the  forest, 
to  which  she  had  extended  her  promenade.  In 
her  hand  she  carried  some  of  the  little  flowers 
which  blossomed  in  the  grass.  Occasionally  she 
held  them  to  her  nose,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  their 
fragrance  very  much.  I  drove  my  horses  down 
the  slope,  and  intercepted  her  as  she  reached  the 
road.  I  knew  she  had  made  a  serious  mistake  in 
not  returning  before  ;  but  she,  as  yet,  had  no  sus 
picion  that  the  steamer  had  departed.  I  hauled  in 
my  horses,  but  she  was  not  disposed  to  take  any 
notice  of  me. 

I  may  say  now,  fifteen  years  after, that  I  was  not 
a  dandy,  and  my  appearance  was  not  calculated 
to  make  an  impression  upon  a  young  lady.  I 
wore  coarse  gray  pants,  "  fearfully  and  wonder 
fully  made,"  besides  being  fearfully  soiled  with 
grease  and  dirt,  the  legs  of  which  were  stuffed 
into  the  tops  of  my  boots,  after  the  fashion  of  our 
backwoods  locality.  Above  these  I  wore  a  hunt 
ing-frock,  made  of  a  yellow  blanket,  with  a  belt 
around  my  waist.  My  cap  was  of  buffalo  hide, 
and  shaped  like  a  gallon  tin-kettle.  My  frock  waa 


94  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

dirty,  greasy,  and  ragged,  for  I  wore  it  while 
cooking,  taking  care  of  the  pigs  and  horses,  and 
in  doing  other  dirty  work  about  the  house  and 
barn. 

I  thought  the  young  lady  did  not  like  my  ap 
pearance,  for  she  seemed  to  be  very  timid,  and 
perhaps  thought  I  was  a  brigand.  I  was  near 
enough  to  see  that  she  was  very  pretty,  even  ac 
cording  to  the  standard  of  later  years,  though  I 
had  no  means  of  making  a  comparison  at  that  time. 

Though  I  pulled  in  my  horses,  she  only  glanced 
at  me,  and  resumed  her  walk  towards  the  landing, 
apparently  determined  to  avoid  me.  I  was  rather 
vexed  at  this  treatment,  for  I  wished  to  invite  her 
to  ride  down  to  the  river.  I  knew  nothing  about 
the  shyness  and  reserve  of  young  ladies  in  civil 
ized  life.  I  drove  on  once  more,  and  she  stepped 
out  of  the  road  to  permit  the  team  to  pass.  She 
glanced  at  me  again,  and  I  saw  that  she  was  not 
angry  with  me.  I  stopped  the  horses,  and  then 
I  ventured  to  speak  to  her. 


THE   FOETUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  95 


CHAPTER   IX. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL    HAS    A    VISITOR   AT   THE   CASTLE. 

WON'T  you  ride  ?  "  I  asked,  as  the  young 
lady  stepped  out  of  the  road  to  allow 
my  team  to  pass. 

"  No,  I  thank  you,"  she  answered,  with  a  smile 
and  a  blush. 

I  did  not  then  understand  the  absurdity  of  the 
invitation  I  extended  to  her.  The  wagon  was 
simply  a  platform  on  wheels,  with  stakes.  It 
had  been  built  by  old  Matt,  though  the  wheels 
had  been  brought  from  some  town  hundreds  of 
miles  down  the  river.  It  was  the  only  vehicle 
on  the  place,  and  was  used  for  carting  wood 
and  hay,  and  for  all  the  purposes  of  the  farm. 
It  was  not  a  suitable  chariot  for  a  civilized 
young  lady,  dressed  as  prettily  as  Miss  Grace- 
wood  was. 


96  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  Did  you  know  that  the  steamer  you  came  in 
had  gone  ?  "  I  added. 

"  Gone  ! "  exclaimed  she,  with  a  start,  and  an 
expression  of  utter  despair. 

"  She  left  half  an  hour  ago." 

"  What  shall  I  do ! "  cried  she,  so  troubled 
that  I  felt  very  bad  myself.  "  The  steamer  can 
not  have  gone  without  me." 

"  She  went  more  than  half  an  hour  ago,"  I 
added.  "  I  suppose  they  thought  you  were  on 
board." 

"0,  dear!   what  shall  I  do!" 

"  She  will  come  back  after  you  when  they  find 
you  have  been  left  behind." 

"  Do  you  think  they  will  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  they  will." 

"  Why  did  she  go  so  soon  ?  They  have  always 
stopped  three  or  four  hours  in  a  place." 

''  I  suppose  the  boat  had  more  business  to  do  at 
other  landings  than  here.  She  only  stopped  here 
for  wood.  She  whistled  and  rang  her  bell  half  an 
hour  before  she  started.  Didn't  you  hear  the 
whistle  ?  " 

"  I  did  hear  it,  but  not  the  bell,  which  I  sup 
posed  was  the  signal  to  call  the  passengers.  It 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  97 

was  such  a  pretty  place  in  the  forest  that  1  en 
joyed  it  very  much,  and  I  did  not  think  of  such  a 
thing  as  the  steamer  starting  for  several  hours. 
The  boat  whistles  so  much  that  1  am  used  to  it, 
and  don't  heed  it.  What  will  become  of  me ! " 

"  I  don't  think  you  need  trouble  yourself  much 
about  it.  The  steamer  will  come  back  as  soon  as 
they  miss  you,"  I  continued,  very  much  moved 
when  I  saw  the  tears  starting  in  her  eyes. 

"  I'm  afraid  they  won't  miss  me." 

"  Why,  certainly  they  will,"  I  protested,  ear 
nestly.  "  Won't  you  ride  down  to  the  landing?" 

She  glanced  at  the  dirty  wagon.  She  appeared 
to  be  tired  after  her  long  walk,  and  the  invitation 
was  a  temptation  to  her ;  but  the  character  of  the 
vehicle  did  not  please  her.  I  had  put  ?P  clean  box 
on  the  wagon  to  contain  the  small  stores  I  had  pur 
chased. 

"  You  can  sit  on  this,"  I  added,  pointing  to 
the  box. 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  get  into  the  wagon." 

I  jumped  upon  the  ground,  and  placed  the  box 
near  the  vehicle,  so  that  she  could  use  it  as  a 
step.  I  did  not  understand  the  rules  of  gallan 
try  well  enough  to  offer  to  assist  her  when  she 
7 


98  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

really  needed  no  assistance.  She  stepped  upon 
the  box,  and,  grasping  one  of  the  stakes,  easily 
mounted  the  platform.  I  placed  the  box  in  the 
middle  of  the  wagon,  and  she  seated  herself.  I 
drove  slowly  to  the  landing-place,  so  that  the  mo 
tion  of  the  rnde  vehicle  might  not  disturb  her. 

"  I  am  afraid  they  won't  come  back  to-night," 
said  she,  as  she  strained  her  eyes  in  gazing  up  the 
river. 

"  Your  friends  on  board  would  compel  the  cap 
tain  to  return ;  but  he  is  a  very  good  man,  and  I 
think  he  will  be  willing." 

"  But  they  may  not  miss  me.  There  are  very 
few  passengers  on  board,  and  I  have  a  state-room 
all  to  myself.  I  have  been  in  it  half  the  time,  read 
ing,  and  they  may  think  I  am  there." 

u  There  will  be  another  steamer  along  in  a  few 
days,  and  you  can  go  in  her." 

"  In  a  few  days  !  "  repeated  she.  "  What  can  I 
do  for  two  or  three  days  ?  " 

"  There's  Mr.  Mellowtone,"  I  interposed,  point 
ing  to  the  pretty  barge  of  my  friend,  who  was  re 
turning  to  the  Castle,  as  he  had  promised  to  do. 

"  And  who  is  Mr.  Mellowtone  ?  "  inquired  my 
fair  companion. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  99 

I  explained  who  lie  was  ;  and  by  the  time  I  had 
finished  my  description,  Ave  arrived  at  the  landing. 

"  There  is  no  steamer  to  be  seen,"  said  Miss 
Ella,  sadly. 

"  But  she  will  come  back,  I  am  sure,  even  if  she 
has  gone  a  hundred  miles,  when  they  discover 
your  absence,"  I  replied. 

"  I  wish  I  could  think  so." 

"  You  may  depend  upon  it." 

"  It  is  almost  dark  now." 

"  The  steamers  run  by  night  as  well  as  by  day, 
in  this  part  of  the  river,  when  the  water  is  as 
high  as  it  is  now." 

She  walked  down  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
continued  to  gaze  earnestly  up  the  stream,  while 
I  employed  myself  in  loading  my  goods.  I  did 
not  think,  when  I  bought  the  barrel  of  flour,  that 
I  was  now  alone,  and  two  hundred  pounds  was 
more  than  I  could  lift  from  the  ground  to  the  body 
of  the  wagon.  But  in  the  backwoods  every  per 
son  is  necessarily  full  of  expedients.  Taking  a 
shovel  from  the  shanty,  which  Matt  had  built  as 
a  shelter  in  stormy  weather,  I  dug  a  couple  of 
trenches  into  the  slope  of  the  hill,  corresponding 
to  the  wheels,  and  then  backed  the  wagon  into 


100  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

them,  until  I  had  a  height  of  less  than  a  foot  to 
overcome.  Using  a  couple  of  sticks  as  skids,  1 
easily  rolled  the  barrel  of  flour  upon  the  vehicle. 
After  loading  the  other  articles,  I  was  ready  to 
return  to  the  Castle. 

Miss  Ella  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  still 
watching  for  the  steamer.  It  did  not  come,  and 
I  invited  her  to  return  with  me.  She  was  chilled 
with  the  cool  air  of  the  evening,  and  reluctantly 
consented.  I  made  a  seat  for  her  on  the  Avagon, 
and  assured  her  I  should  hear  the  whistle  of  the 
steamer  when  she  returned. 

"  I  am  afraid  she  will  not  return,"  said  she 
again,  very  gloomily. 

"  Of  course  she  will.  I  doubt  whether  she 
will  go  any  farther  to-night  than  the  fort,  about 
twenty  miles  farther  up  the  river,"  I  replied. 
"  Your  friends  must  have  discovered  your  ab 
sence  by  this  time." 

"  No,"  she  replied,  shaking  her  head,  "  they  will 
think  I  am  in  my  state-room." 

"  Your  mother  is  on  board,  I  heard  the  captain 
say." 

"  She  is,  and  my  aunt." 

"  I  am   sure  your    mother  will  discover    your 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.       101 

absence.  She  will  want  to  see  you  before  you 
go  to  bed." 

"  No." 

I  had  no  experience  of  domestic  life  among  civ 
ilized  people,  but  I  had  read  in  books,  lent  to  me 
by  Mr.  Mellowtone,  that  parents  and  children 
were  very  affectionate.  In  the  stories,  little 
girls  always  kissed  their  mothers,  and  said  "  good 
night"  after  they  repeated  their  prayers.  I 
thought  it  would  be  very  strange  if  Ella's  moth 
er  did  not  discover  her  absence  till  the  next  day. 
The  young  lady  was  very  sad,  and  shook  her  head 
with  so  much  significance,  that  I  was  afraid  her 
mother  was  not  kind  to  her,  though  I  could 
hardly  conceive  of  such  a  thing. 

"  Do  you  live  here  all  alone  ?  "  she  asked,  after 
a  silence  of  a  few  moments,  as  though  she  wished 
to  turn  my  attention  away  from  a  disagreeable 
subject. 

"  I  am  all  alone  now,  though  it  is  only  four 
days  since  the  old  man  with  whom  I  lived  was 
killed  by  the  Indians." 

"  By  the  Indians  !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Ella,  with  a 
look  of  terror. 

I  repeated  the  story  of  the  attack  of  the  In- 


102  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

dians ;  but  I  did  not  wish  to  alarm  her,  and  re 
frained  from  saying  that  we  expected  another 
visit  from  them  soon.  I  had  heard  nothing  from 
Kit  Cruncher  since  he  departed,  and  I  concluded 
that  there  was  no  present  danger.  My  fair  com. 
panion  sympathized  with  me  in  the  loss  I  had 
sustained,  and  asked  me  a  great  many  ques. 
tions  in  regard  to  my  life  in  the  woods.  I 
told  her  how  I  happened  to  be  there,  and  I 
think  she  forgot  all  about  herself  for  the  time, 
she  was  so  interested  in  my  eventful  career. 

We  arrived  at  the  Castle,  and  I  found  a  good 
fire  blazing  in  the  room,  but  I  did  not  see  Mr.  Mel- 
lowtone,  though  he  had  lighted  it.  I  conducted 
Miss  Gracewood  into  our  rude  house,  and  gave 
her  a  seat  before  the  fire.  Unhitching  my  horses, 
I  went  to  the  barn  with  them.  While  I  was  feed 
ing  them  for  the  night,  Mr.  Mellowtone  came  in. 

"  I  have  been  out  into  the  woods,"  said  he  ;  "  but 
I  see  no  signs  of  any  Indians." 

"  I  don't  think  there  are  any  very  near  us,"  I 
replied.  "  If  there  were,  Kit  Cruncher  would  re 
turn,  and  let  us  know  of  their  approach.  I  have 
some  company  in  the  Castle,  Mr.  Mellowtone." 

"  Company  ?  " 


THE    FORTUNES   OF    A    FARMER.  103 

"  Yes  ;  a  young  lady." 

"  Is  it  possible  !  " 

"  She  was  left  by  the  steamer.  She  had  been  to 
walk  in  the  forest,  and  did  not  heed  the  whistle/' 

"  This  is  not  a  very  good  place  for  ladies.  We 
are  liable  to  receive  a  visit  from  the  Indians  at 
any  time." 

"  Don't  say  anything  to  her  about  it.  It  would 
only  frighten  her,  and  she  is  uncomfortable  enough 
now,"  I  suggested,  as  I  led  the  way  towards  the 
house. 

"  Stop  a  minute,  Phil  Farringford,"  interposed 
Mr.  Mellowtone.  "  I  think  I  will  not  see  your 
visitor." 

"  Not  see  her ! "  I  exclaimed,  astonished  that 
one  who  had  hardly  seen  a  lady  for  years  should 
desire  to  avoid  one,  especially  a  young  lady  of 
twelve. 

"No;    I  think  not." 

"  But  she  is  young,  and  very  pretty." 

"  So  much  the  worse.  It  would  revive  old  as 
sociations  in  my  mind  which  are  not  pleasant.  I 
will  tell  you  more  about  that  another  time.  But 
the  steamer  will  return  for  the  young  lady  —  will 
it  not?" 


104  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

"  Of  course  it  will :  but  she  thinks  her  friends 
In  the  boat  will  not  discover  her  absence  before 
morning,  for  she  occupied  a  state-room  alone." 

"  If  the  boat  comes  in  the  night,  we  shall  hear 
her  whistle.  You  and  I  can  sleep  in  the  block 
house,  and  your  visitor  can  have  the  Castle  all 
to  herself." 

"  Very  well." 

"  Now  go  and  attend  to  her  wants,  and  I  will 
smoke  my  pipe  in  the  field.  It  would  not  be 
polite  to  smoke  in  the  presence  of  a  lady,"  con. 
tinned  Mr.  Mellowtone,  as  he  left  me. 

He  disappeared  behind  the  building,  leaving 
the  aroma  of  his  pipe  after  him.  I  thought  his 
conduct  was  very  strange ;  but  then  I  had  al 
ways  regarded  him  as  a  singular  man.  He  had 
never  gone  to  the  landing  when  a  steamer  arrived. 
If  he  wanted  any  stores,  or  wished  to  send  to  St. 
Louis  for  anything,  he  always  commissioned  Matt 
or  me  to  do  his  business  for  him.  He  had  nev 
er  whispered  a  word  in  my  hearing  in  regard  to 
his  past  history,  though  he  took  a  great  interest 
in  me. 

I  went  into  the  Castle,  and  found  that  Miss  Ella 
was  as  comfortable  as  the  circumstances  would 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.       105 

permit.  I  put  some  pitch  wood  on  the  fire, 
which  made  the  room  light  enough  to  enable 
one  to  read  in  any  part  of  it.  I  prepared  some 
supper,  of  which  she  ate  very  sparingly,  though 
when,  like  an  accomplished  housekeeper,  I  apol 
ogized  for  the  fare,  she  declared  that  it  was  very 
good. 

I  had  to  unload  the  wagon  ;  but  the  barrel  of 
flour  was  still  too  much  for  me,  and  I  asked  Mr. 
Mellowtone  to  help  me,  and  he  came  to  the  front 
of  the  Castle  for  that  purpose.  I  lighted  a  pitch- 
wood  torch,  and  went  out.  Miss  Ella  followed 
me,  and  insisted  upon  holding  the  torch,  when  I 
began  to  thrust  one  end  of  it  into  the  ground. 

Mr.  Mellowtone  could  not  help  seeing  her ;  and 
when  I  was  ready  to  roll  down  the  barrel  of 
flour  on  the  skids,  I  saw  that  he  was  gazing  at 
her  very  intently. 

"  What  is  this  young  lady's  name,  Phil  Farring- 
ford  ? "  he  asked,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Ella  Gracewood,"  I  replied. 

"  My  daughter  !  "  exclaimed  he,  with  deep  emo 
tion,  as  he  sprang  towards  her. 


106  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN   WHICH     PHIL    VISITS    PARADISE,    AND    FIRES   AT    AN 
INDIAN. 

ELLA  raised  the  torch,  and  gazed  earnestly 
into  the  face  of  Mr.  Mellowtone. 

"  Father  !  "  exclaimed  she,  springing  into  his 
arms. 

I  took  the  torch  from  her  hand,  utterly  con 
founded  by  the  scene.  I  could  not  see  how  Mr. 
Mellowtone  could  be  the  father  of  Miss  Grace- 
wood,  for  I  knew  enough  of  the  customs  of 
society  to  be  aware  that  the  daughter  bore  the 
parent's  name.  They  wept  and  sobbed  in  each 
other's  arms,  and  I  was  so  touched  that  I  could 
not  help  crying,  too. 

"  You  are  but  little  changed,  Ella,"  said  the 
father.  "  Only  a  little  taller." 

He  stepped  back  and  gazed  at  her,  as  if  to 
note  the  change  which  time  had  wrought  in  her. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  107 

"  And  you  don't  look  any  older  than  when  we 
parted ;  how  well  I  remember  it ! ''  replied  Ella, 
her  pretty  face  lighted  up  with  joy.  "  Only  your 
clothes  are  different." 

Mr.  Mellowtone  wore  the  costume  of  the  woods 
—  a  blue  hunting-shirt,  or  frock,  over  pants  stuffed 
into  the  tops  of  his  boots,  with  a  felt  hat. 

"  I  suppose,  if  I  wore  my  black  clothes,  you 
would  see  no  change  at  all  in  me,"  replied  the 
father.  "  But  I  will  help  you  unload  your  flour, 
Phil  Farringford." 

"  I  am  in  no  hurry,"  I  answered. 

"  Let  us  do  it  at  once." 

I  handed  the  torch  to  Ella  again,  and  we  rolled 
the  heavy  barrel  to  the  ground. 

"  How  funny  it  looks  to  see  you  doing  such 
work,  father  !  "  said  she,  laughing. 

"  But  I  am  my  own  cook  and  my  own  servant. 
1  chop  my  own  wood,  and  shoot  my  own  dinner. 
You  shall  go  to  my  island  home  to-morrow,  and  I 
think  we  shall  be  very  happy  there." 

"  You  needn't  do  anything  more,  Mr.  Mellow- 
tone,"  I  interposed,  when  he  was  going  to  help 
unload  the  rest  of  the  goods.  "  You  can  go  into 
the  house,  and  talk  with  your  daughter." 


108  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

"  Why  do  you  call  him  Mr.  Mellowtone  ?  "  asked 
Ella.  "  That  is  not  his  name." 

"  It  is  the  name  by  which  I  am  known  here  in 
the  forest,"  added  he. 

"  But  your  name  is  Henry  Gracewood." 

"  And  you  may  call  me  so,  Phil  Farringford,  in 
future,"  said  Mr.  Mellowtone.  "My  own  name 
sounds  strange  to  me  now.  I  changed  it  to  es 
cape  impertinent  questions  which  might  possibly 
be  put  to  me." 

Father  and  daughter  entered  the  Castle,  and 
seated  themselves  before  the  blazing  fire.  I 
rolled  the  barrel  of  flour  into  the  store-room, 
between  the  house  and  the  barn.  Disposing  of 
the  rest  of  the  articles  I  had  bought  in  their 
proper  places,  my  work  was  finished  for  the  night. 

'•'  I  will  go  to  the  block  house  now,  Mr.  Grace- 
wood,"  I  remarked,  not  wishing  to  intrude  my 
self  upon  the  happy  father  and  child  in  the 
Castle. 

"  No,  Phil  Farringford,"  replied  he ;  "  I  shall 
have  no  secrets  from  you  after  this,  for  you  have 
learned  enough  to  make  you  desire  to  know 
more." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  intrude,  sir." 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        109 

"  Sit  down,  Phil  Farringfbnl.  Now  Matt  Rock- 
wood  is  gone,  I  shall  regard  you  both  as  my  chil 
dren,"  continued  Mr.  Gracewood,  with  more 
sprightliuess  than  I  had  ever  seen  him  exhibit 
before. 

I  put  some  more  pitch  wood  on  the  fire,  and 
seated  myself  opposite  the  father  and  daughter, 
where  I  could  sec  the  glowing  faces  of  both. 

"  Now,  Ella,  tell  me  how  you  happen  to  be  so 
far  from  St.  Louis,"  said  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  We  were  going  to  Portland,  Oregon.  Mr. 
Sparklcy  failed  in  business,  and  lost  all  his  prop 
erty,"  replied  she. 

"  Mr.  Sparkley  is  my  brother-in-law,  Phil,"  added 
Mr.  Gracewood.  "  And  you  are  going  with  hirn; 
Ella?" 

u  Yes ;  Mr.  Sparkley  has  a  good  chance  to  go 
into  business  there." 

"  Is  your — is  your  mother  with  him?"  asked 
Mr.  Gracewood,  with  some  embarrassment. 

"She  is." 

I  was  not  a  little  puzzled  by  what  I  heard.  My 
good  friend  spoke  of  the  mother  of  Ella,  and  I 
knew  that  she  was  his  daughter.  The  mother, 
therefore,  was  his  wife,  as  I  reasoned  out  the 


110  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

problem;  but  I  could  not  understand  how  he 
happened  to  be  living  in  the  backwoods,  away 
from  her  and  his  child.  Mr.  Gracewood  was  silent 
for  a  time,  and  I  began  to  realize  that  there  was 
something  unpleasant  in  his  family  relations, 
though  the  matter  was  incomprehensible  to  me. 

"  I  suppose  your  mother  does  not  speak  very 
kindly  of  me,"  said  the  father,  at  last,  with  con 
siderable  emotion. 

"  I  never  heard  her  speak  an  unkind  word  of 
you,  father,"  replied  Ella,  promptly  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  her  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that." 

"  It  is  true,  father,"  added  the  daughter,  wiping 
the  tears  from  her  eyes. 

"  Don't  cry,  Ella;  all  may  yet  be  well.  Perhaps 
I  was  to  blame,  in  part." 

"  You  will  see  mother  when  she  comes  back  in 
the  steamer  —  won't  you,  father  ?  "  pleaded  she. 

"  She  may  not  wish  to  see  me." 

"  I  know  she  will  be  glad  to  see  you." 

Mr.  Gracewood  was  moody  and  agitated  again. 
I  saw  that  he  was  struggling  with  his  feelings, 
and  I  hoped  that  the  gentle  words  of  his  daughter 
\vould  lead  to  a  reconciliation.  She  seemed  like 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        Ill 

an  angel  of  peace  to  me,  as  she  threw  oil  upon  the 
troubled  waters.  But  I  felt  like  an  intruder  in 
such  a  scene,  and  I  left  the  Castle  on  the  pretence 
of  attending  to  the  horses.  I  did  not  return,  feel 
ing  that  I  was  not  needed  in  such  an  interview. 
I  made  up  a  bed  in  the  block  house,  and  was  about 
to  turn  in,  when  Mr.  Gracewood  joined  me.  He 
told  me  he  had  attended  to  all  the  wants  of  his 
daughter,  and  that  she  would  sleep  in  the  Castle. 

"  I  know  you  were  astonished  at  what  you 
heard,  Phil  Farringford,"  said  he,  as  we  lay  down 
in  the  block  house. 

"  I  was,  sir,  and  I  felt  very  bad  when  your 
daughter  wept." 

"  1  am  afraid,  from  what  Ella  says,  that  I  am 
quite  as  much  to  blame  as  her  mother.  Indeed,  I 
had  begun  to  think  before  that  the  fault  was  not 
all  on  her  side.  When  my  father  died,  he  left  a 
handsome  fortune,  which  was  divided  between  my 
brother  and  myself.  I  was  educated  at  one  of  the 
best  colleges  in  the  west,  and  intended  to  study 
the  profession  of  law ;  but  the  death  of  my  father 
placed  sufficient  wealth  in  my  possession  to  enable 
me  to  live  in  luxury  without  any  exertion.  I  was 
married,  and  for  a  few  years  lived  very  happily. 


112  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  I  had  always  been  very  fond  of  fishing  and 
hunting,  and  while  in  college  1  spent  all  my  vaca- 
tions  in  camp,  on  the  prairie  or  in  the  forest. 
After  1  was  graduated,  I  used  to  devote  two  or 
three  months  of  the  year  to  these  pursuits.  When 
I  was  married,  I  was  not  willing  to  forego  this 
luxury,  —  for  such  it  was  to  me,  —  and  without 
going  into  the  painful  details,  this  subject  became 
a  source  of  difference  between  us.  I  thought  my 
wife  was  unreasonable,  and  she  thought  the  same 
of  me.  Six  years  ago  she  told  me,  if  I  went  on 
my  usual  excursion,  she  would  leave  me,  never  to 
return.  I  could  not  believe  she  was  in  earnest. 
I  had  reduced  the  period  of  my  absence  to  six 
weeks,  and  when  I  returned  I  found  my  house 
closed.  Mrs.  Gracewood  was  at  the  residence  of 
her  brother,  Mr.  Sparkley.  I  sent  her  a  note,  in 
forming  her  of  my  return. 

"  She  wrote  me  in  reply,  that  if  I  would  promise 
to  abandon  my  annual  hunting  trip,  or  take  her 
with  me,  she  would  come  back.  I  replied  that  I 
would  travel  with  her  wherever  she  desired  to  go, 
and  at  any  time  except  in  June  and  July,  and  that 
a  woman  was  out  of  place  in  a  camp  of  hunters. 
She  positively  refused  to  return  or  to  see  me  on 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        113 

any  other  than  her  own  conditions.  I  met  Ella 
every  week  at  my  own  house,  where  she  came  in 
charge  of  a  servant.  Neither  of  us  would  yield, 
and  life  was  misery  to  me.  The  next  spring  1 
placed  all  my  property  in  the  hands  of  my  brother, 
with  instructions  to  pay  my  wife  an  annuity  of 
three  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  made  a  will  in 
favor  of  my  child. 

"  1  had  been  to  this  region  before,  and  hunted 
upon  the  island  where  I  now  live.  To  me  it  was 
a  paradise,  and  I  determined  to  spend  the  rest  of 
my  days  there.  I  felt  that  I  had  been  robbed  of 
all  the  joys  of  existence  in  the  love  of  my  wife 
and  child.  Taking  the  materials  for  my  house, 
furniture,  a  piano,  and  my  library,  with  a  plentiful 
supply  of  stores,  1  came  up  the  river  in  a  steamer, 
and  have  lived  here  ever  since." 

"  But  didn't  you  wish  to  see  your  daughter?"  I 
asked. 

"  Very  much  ;  but  I  was  afraid  that  the  sight  of 
her  would  break  down  my  resolution,  and  induce 
me  to  yield  the  point  for  which  I  had  contended. 
A  kind  Providence  seems  to  have  sent  my  child 
to  me,  to  open  and  warm  my  heart." 

"  Do  you  still  think  you  were  right?"  I  asked. 


114  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  I  do ;  my  annual  hunt  was  life  and  strength  to 
me  for  the  whole  year.  I  thought  my  wife's  ob 
jections  were  unkind  and  unreasonable ;  but  I 
believe  now,  since  I  have  seen  Ella,  that  my  man 
ner  was  not  conciliatory ;  that  I  was  arbitrary  in 
my  refusal.  Perhaps,  if  I  had  been  kind  and 
gentle,  and  taken  the  pains  to  convince  her  that 
my  health  required  the  recreation,  she  would  have 
withdrawn  her  objections.  Quarrels,  Phil  Farring- 
ford,  oftener  result  from  the  manner  of  the  persons 
concerned  than  from  irreconcilable  differences." 

I  went  to  sleep,  but  1  think  it  was  a  long  night 
to  Mr.  Gracewood.  When  1  waked  he  had  left  the 
block  house  ;  but  I  found  him  with  Ella,  at  sunrise, 
on  the  bank  of  the  river.  He  had  called  her  up, 
and  was  going  to  start  at  that  early  hour  for  Para 
dise,  as  he  called  his  island.  He  invited  me  to  go 
up  as  soon  as  I  could,  declaring  that  there  was  no 
danger  from  the  Indians  so  long  as  Kit  did  not 
return.  I  was  sorry  to  lose  my  pretty  visitor  so 
soon ;  but  she  was  as  impatient  to  see  the  home  of 
her  father  as  he  was  to  have  her  do  so. 

I  watched  the  beautiful  boat  as  Mr.  Gracewood 
pulled  up  the  stream ;  but  1  trembled  when  I  con* 
sidered  the  danger  of  losing  my  neighbors,  for 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        115 

Ella  would  not  think  of  remaining  long  in  such  a 
lonely  region.  I  took  care  of  the  horses,  and 
turned  them  out  to  feed  on  the  new  grass,  believ 
ing  that  they  would  be  better  able  to  take  care  of 
themselves  in  my  absence  if  the  Indians  visited 
the  clearing.  After  breakfast,  I  walked  down  to 
the  landing,  where  I  had  a  boat,  as  starting  from 
there  would  save  me  the  labor  of  paddling  a  mile 
against  the  current.  I  soon  reached  the  island, 
and  landed  upon  the  lower  end.  I  had  taken  my 
rifle  with  me,  so  as  to  bring  down  any  game  I 
happened  to  see. 

As  I  walked  up  the  slope  of  the  hill,  I  dis 
covered  in  the  water,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island,  a  couple  of  Indian  dugouts.  I  was  alarmed, 
and  hastened  with  all  speed  to  the  house  of  my 
good  friend.  I  heard  the  music  of  his  piano,  and 
was  assured  that  the  Indians  had  not  yet  done  any 
mischief.  I  went  up  to  the  door,  which  was  wide 
open.  Mr.  Gracewood  sat  at  the  instrument,  with 
his  pipe  in  his  mouth,  inspired  by  the  melody  he 
was  producing.  At  the  same  instant  I  perceived 
the  head  of  an  Indian  at  a  window  behind  the 
pianist.  I  saw  him  raise  a  rifle,  as  if  to  take  aim. 
As  quick  as  my  own  thoughts,  I  elevated  my  own, 
piece  and  fired. 


116  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 


CHAPTER  XL 

IN  WHICH   PHIL   ENGAGES   IN  THE   PURSUIT   OF  THE 
INDIANS. 

TVHE  shot  which  I  fired  was  instantly  followed 
by  a  fierce  and  savage  yell.  Until  this 
moment  the  invaders  had  been  creeping  like 
cats  up  to  the  house,  and  Mr.  Gracewood  and 
Ella  had  no  suspicion  of  their  presence.  In 
coming  up  the  river  I  had  crossed  to  the  op 
posite  side  by  a  diagonal  course,  partly  to  shorten 
the  distance,  and  partly  to  avoid  a  strong  cur 
rent,  which  swept  in  close  to  the  shore  above  the 
mouth  of  Fish  Creek.  The  Indians  must  have 
been  making  the  passage  at  the  same  time ;  but 
the  island  was  between  them  and  me,  so  that 
1  could  not  see  them. 

They  belonged  to  the  same  band  that  had  at 
tacked  us  at  the  Castle.  The  fact  that  they  had 
their  dugouts  with  them  assured  me  they  had  come 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        117 

down  Crooked  River,  the  next  stream  above  the 
Fish,  on  our  side  of  the  Missouri.  I  concluded 
that  they  intended  to  renew  the  attack  upon 
the  Castle,  and  had  come  in  their  boats  so  that 
they  could  approach  on  the  water  side  of  the 
farm.  They  knew  Mr.  Gracewood  very  well,  and 
meant  to  plunder  him  first,  for  his  share  in  the 
occurrences  of  the  last  week. 

I  could  form  no  idea  of  the  number  of  Indians 
on  the  island.  I  judged  that  there  were  but  few, 
for  I  could  see  only  two  dugouts  on  the  bank  of 
the  river.  The  savage  at  whom  1  had  fired  was  in 
the  act  of  stealing  in  at  the  window.  He  had 
but  just  raised  his  head,  and  was  the  only  one 
I  could  see.  His  companions  were  near  him, 
however,  as  I  soon  learned  from  the  yell  they 
uttered. 

Mr.  Gracewood's  house  was  large  enough  to 
contain  two  rooms  below,  and  two  sleeping  apart 
ments  in  the  attic.  The  front  room,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  building,  was  nearly  half  filled  by  a 
Chickering's  grand  piano  —  a  magnificent  instru 
ment,  which  was  the  joy  and  solace  of  the  re 
cluse  in  his  self-imposed  exile.  I  had  often  sat 
for  hours,  while  he  played  upon  it,  listening  to 


118  FIELD   AND   FOREST,    OR 

the  wonderful  melody  he  produced.  He  was  an 
enthusiast  in  music,  and  when  he  played  he 
seemed  to  be  inspired.  Almost  invariably  his 
pipe  was  in  his  mouth  when  seated  at  the  in 
strument,  arid  I  supposed  his  two  joys  afforded 
him  a  double  rapture.  I  used  to  think,  if  it 
had  been  my  case,  I  could  have  dispensed 
with  the  pipe,  for  it  seemed  like  adding  gall  to 
honey. 

The  grand  piano  was  a  powerful  instrument, 
and  I  had  heard  its  tones  before  I  landed,  and 
I  listened  to  them  with  pleasure  until  my  at 
tention  was  attracted  by  the  sight  of  the  dug 
outs.  The  front  door  was  open,  and  Mr.  Grace- 
wood  glanced  at  me  as  I  appeared  at  the  door, 
but  he  did  not  suspend  his  rapturous  occupation. 
Behind  him  stood  Ella,  enjoying  the  music ;  and 
both  were  totally  unconscious  of  the  deadly 
peril  that  menaced  them.  At  the  same  instant 
I  discovered  the  head  of  the  Indian.  He  had  evi 
dently  surveyed  the  interior  of  the  room  before, 
and  he  did  not  see  me.  I  fired,  and  he  dropped. 
His  companions  yelled,  and  Ella  uttered  a  scream 
of  terror.  She  was  beside  herself  with  fear,  and 
apparently  thinking  the  house  was  full  of  Indians, 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER,  119 

she  rushed  out  at  the  open  door  as  I  entered. 
Mr.  Gracewood  seized  his  rifle;  and  a  revolver 
which  hung  on  the  wall. 

I  loaded  my  piece  without  delay,  and  followed 
the  recluse  out  of  the  house.  I  heard  him  fire 
before  I  overtook  him.  The  plan  of  the  sav 
ages  failed  as  soon  as  they  were  discovered, 
for  they  were  too  cowardly  to  stand  up  before 
the  rifles  of  the  white  man.  As  I  hastened 
after  Mr.  Gracewood,  I  glanced  at  the  outside 
of  the  window  through  which  I  had  fired  at 
the  Indian.  I  supposed  I  had  killed  him,  but 
his  body  was  not  there.  A  terrible  scream  from 
Ella,  followed  by  a  cry  of  anguish  from  her 
father,  startled  me  at  this  moment,  and  I  ran 
with  all  speed  in  the  direction  from  which  the 
sounds  came.  Passing  beyond  the  house,  I  dis 
covered  four  Indians  in  full  retreat.  Two  of  them 
were  dragging  the  shrieking  Ella  over  the  ground 
towards  the  point  on  the  river  where  the  dug 
out  lay.  My  blood  ran  cold  with  horror  as  I 
realized  that  they  had  captured  the  fair  girl. 

The  poor  child,  in  her  terror,  had  run  away 
from  the  house  to  escape  the  savages,  who,  she 
supposed,  were  in  it,  but  only  to  encounter  them 


120  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

where  we  could  not  prevent  her  capture.  The 
agony  of  her  father  was  fearful.  He  groaned 
in  the  heaviness  of  his  soul.  We  coiild  not  fire 
upon  the  Indians  without  danger  of  hitting  Ella, 
whom  her  captors  cunningly  used  to  protect 
their  own  bodies  from  our  bullets. 

Mr.  Gracewood  ran,  but  his  limbs  seemed  to 
be  partially  paralyzed  by  the  agony  of  his  soul. 
It  was  but  a  short  distance  to  the  river,  and 
before  we  could  overtake  the  Indians  they  had 
dragged  their  prisoner  into  one  of  the  dugouts, 
and  pushed  off  from  the  shore.  I  passed  the  poor 
father,  but  reached  the  bank  of  the  river  too 
late  to  be  of  any  service  to  Ella.  There  were 
two  Indians  in  each  boat.  They  had  gone  but 
a  few  rods  before  a  bullet  whistled  near  my 
head,  and  I  retreated  to  the  shelter  of  a  tree 
until  Mr.  Gracewood  joined  me. 

"  Heaven  be  merciful  to  me  and  to  her ! " 
groaned  he,  pressing  both  hands  upon  his  throb 
bing  head.  "  What  shall  we  do,  Phil  Farringford  ? 
Tell  me,  for  I  am  beside  myself." 

"  Let  us  take  your  barge  and   follow  them." 

At  that  moment  the  shrill  whistle  of  a  steamer 
echoed  over  the  island.  The  sound  came  from 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        121 

up  the  river,  and  1  was  satisfied  tliat  it  was 
the  boat  in  which  Ella  had  been  a  passenger, 
returning  for  her. 

"  It  will  be  a  sad  moment  to  her  mother  when 
she  hears  what  has  become  of  Ella,"  groaned 
Mr.  Gracewood. 

u  Let  us  get  into  your  boat  as  quick  as  possi 
ble,  and  meet  the  steamer  as  she  comes  down," 
said  I. 

We  ran  to  the  landing-place  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  island,  and  embarked  in  the  barge.  Mr. 
Gracewood  rowed  with  all  his  might  up  the 
stream. 

"Do  you  see  the  dugouts,  Phil  Farringford ? " 
he  asked,  after  he  had  pulled  to  the  upper  end 
of  the  island. 

"  I  can  just  see  them.  They  are  making  for 
Crooked  River." 

"Do  you   see  the  steamer?" 

"  She   is  not  in   sight  yet." 

The  mouth  of  Crooked  River  was  half  a  mile 
above  Paradise  Island.  Its  head  waters  were 
in  the  Indian  country,  but  the  most  of  its 
course  was  through  a  more  level  region  than 
that  through  which  the  two  branches  of  the 


122  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

Fish  flowed,  though  the  mouths  of  the  two  were 
not  more  than  a  couple  of  miles  apart.  Crooked 
River  was,  therefore,  practicable  for  boats,  while 
there  were  frequent  rapids  in  Fish  Creek  and 
its  tributaries. 

"  There's  the  steamer,"  said  I,  after  we  had 
gone  a  short  distance  farther. 

"  And  where  are   the  dugouts  ?  " 

"  They  have   gone   into   Crooked  River." 

"  Can  the  people  in  the  steamer  see  them  ? " 
asked  the  anxious  father. 

"  No,"  I  replied,  sadly. 

Mr.  Gracewood  continued  to  pull  with  all  his 
might,  and  in  silence,  till  we  came  within  hail 
of  the  steamer. 

"  Hold  on ! "  I  shouted,  making  violent  ges 
tures  with  my  arms. 

The  captain  immediately  recognized  me,  and 
the  wheels  of  the  steamer  stopped.  Mr.  Grace- 
wood  pulled  the  barge  up  to  the  steamer,  and 
we  went  on  board. 

"  Where  is  the  young  lady  we  left  at  your 
wood-yard  ? "  demanded  the  captain,  very  much 
excited,  as  I  stepped  on  deck. 

"  She  was   captured  by  the  Indians   less   than 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  123 

an  hour  ago,"  I  replied,  breathless  with  emotion. 
"  They  have  taken  her  up  into  Crooked  River. 
Do  put  your  boat  about  and  chase  them." 

"  Captured  by  the  Indians  !  "  exclaimed  the  cap 
tain,  aghast  at  the  intelligence. 

"  Will  you  put  about,  and  follow  them,  cap 
tain  ? "  interposed  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"He  is  Ella's   father,"  I  added. 

"  I  am,"   said  he. 

The  captain  directed  the  pilot  to  start  the 
steamer,  and  head  her  up  the  river,  as  we 
dragged  the  barge  on  deck. 

"  But  we  can't  go  up  these  small  streams," 
he  added. 

"  The  Indians  cannot  have  gone  far,  and  the 
water  is  deep  for  several  miles,"  replied  Mr. 
Gracewood. 

11 1  will  do  the  best  I  can.  We  have  a  de 
tachment  of  troops  which  I  am  to  land  at  your 
yard,  Phil,"  continued  the  captain. 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  that.  The  Indians  will  give 
us  no  peace  until  they  have  been  punished  for 
the  mischief  they  have  done." 

"  Did  you  say  this  gentleman  was  Ella's 
father  ? "  asked  the  captain,  pointing  to  Mr. 


124  FIELD   AND    FOREST,    OR 

Gracewood,  who  had  gone  to  the  bow  of  the 
boat,  and  was  on  the  lookout  for  the  Indians. 

I  told  him  all  that  had  transpired  since  we 
smet  the  evening  before,  including  the  capture 
of  Ella, 

"  If  he  is  Ella's  father,  his  wife  is  on  board," 
said  the  captain.  "  I  suppose  I  must  tell  her 
what  has  happened  to  her  daughter ;  but  I  don't 
like  to  do  it." 

As  he  left  me  to  perform  this  unpleasant 
duty,  I  saw  two  ladies  and  three  gentlemen, 
two  of  them  officers,  coming  down  the  steps 
from  the  boiler  deck.  I  inferred  that  one  of 
these  ladies  was  the  mother  of  Ella.  She  had 
evidently  received  an  intimation  that  something 
had  occurred  to  her  daughter,  for  she  was  very 
much  disturbed. 

"What  has  happened,  Captain  Davis?  Where 
is  Ella?"  she  demanded,  in  broken  tones. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  news  is  not  as 
pleasant  as  I  could  wish,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  Where  is   she  ?  "  cried   Mrs.  Gracewood. 

"  Her  father  is  here,  and  — 

'"  Her  father ! "  exclaimed  the  anxious  mother. 

Mr.  Gracewood,  whose  attention  was  attracted 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  125 

by  the  sound  of  her  voice,  came  up  to  the 
group,  and  was  instantly  recognized  by  his 
wife. 

"  0,  Henry  !  "  gasped  she.     "  Forgive  me  !  " 

"  Nay,  I  ask  to  be  forgiven,"  he  replied,  chok 
ing  with  emotion. 

Without  any  explanation  or  terms  whatever, 
the  reconciliation  seemed  to  be  perfect. 

"  This  must  be  a  sad  meeting,  Emily,  for  I  fear 
that  Ella  is  lost  to  us." 

"  Where   is  she  ? "  demanded  Mrs.  Gracewood. 

"  In  the  hands  of  the  Indians,"  replied  the 
suffering  father. 

"  0,  mercy  !  mercy  !  "  groaned  the  poor  mother. 
"  They  will  kill  her  !  " 

"  Let  us  hope  not,"  replied  Mr.  Gracewood, 
struggling  to  repress  his  emotions. 

But  this  intelligence  was  too  heavy  for  the 
strength  of  the  poor  lady,  and  she  was  borne 
fainting  up  the  stairs  to  the  saloon.  Mr.  Grace- 
wood  assisted  in  this  duty,  and  I  was  left  to 
give  the  military  officers  the  information  they 
needed.  The  steamer  had  already  entered  Crook 
ed  River,  and  a  leadman  was  calling  out  the 
depth  of  water. 


126  FIELD    AND   FOREST,    OB 

"  There  they  are ! "  I  cried,  when  the  boat 
turned  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river,  as  I  discov 
ered  the  two  dugouts  paddling  up  the  stream. 

"  We  will  make  short  work  of  them,"  replied 
Lieutenant  Pope,  Avho  was  in  command  of  the 
detachment  of  soldiers  sent  down  for  our  relief. 

The  Indians  saw  the  steamer,  and  immediately 
made  for  the  shore,  where  they  landed. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        127 


CHAPTER   XII. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL   TAKES    DELIBERATE   AIM   AT   ONE 
OF   THE    CAPTORS   OF   ELLA. 

"  TTTHAT  is  your  name,  young  man?"  said 
\  f  Lieutenant  Pope  to  me. 

"  Phil  Farringford,  sir." 

"  Are  you  acquainted  with  the  country  in  this 
vicinity  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  have  been  over  it  many  times." 

"  Then  you  can  act  as  a  guide,"  added  the  offi 
cer,  who  had  collected  his  force  on  the  forward 
deck,  in  readiness  to  disembark  them. 

Presently  the  steamer  reached  the  point  at 
which  the  Indians  had  landed.  The  dugouts  were 
hauled  up  on  the  shore  ;  but  we  could  see  nothing 
of  the  savages,  who  had  disappeared  in  the  forest, 
half  a  mile  from  the  stream,  where  the  land  began 
to  rise. 


128  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OK 

"  Can  we  make  a  landing  here  ?  "  asked  the  cap 
tain. 

"  You  can,"  I.  replied. 

"  Do  so,  captain,"  added  Lieutenant  Pope. 

"  I  wouldn't  land  here,"  I  interposed. 

"Why  not?" 

"  This  boat  can  go  three  miles  up  the  river, 
sure,  and  perhaps  five.  The  Indians  must  travel 
up  stream  in  order  to  escape  you.  If  you  go  up 
two  miles  farther,  you  can  head  them  off." 

"  Keep  her  a-going,  captain,"  added  the  officer. 

"  Two  or  three  miles  east  of  us  is  Big  Fish 
Creek.  The  Indians  can't  get  across  below  us 
without  swimming." 

"  Then  we  shall  have  them  between  these  two 
streams." 

"  Of  course  it  is  possible  for  them  to  get  across 
the  Big  Fish,  but  it  won't  be  very  easy,  unless 
they  get  rid  of  their  prisoner." 

"  How  far  is  it  across  the  country  to  the 
creek  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"  About  three  miles  here.  Crooked  River  twists 
round  in  a  half  circle." 

"  You  may  be  gone  a  week,  Lieutenant  Pope," 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        129 

interposed    the    captain.      "  I    can't   wait    here   a 
great  while." 

"  You  need  not  wait  an  hour  after  you  have 
landed  my  force,"  replied  the  officer.  "  But  you 
must  take  my  stores  down  to  the  landing  at  the 
wood-yard.  I  will  send  a  sergeant  and  ten  men  to 
take  charge  of  them." 

The  campaign,  it  appeared,  was  to  be  com 
menced  at  this  point,  and  I  was  to  guide  the 
soldiers  to  the  Indian  village  north  of  our  settle 
ment.  Mr.  Gracewood  soon  appeared  on  the  for 
ward  deck,  and  the  plan  was  explained  to  him. 
His  wife  was  a  little  better,  and  he  was  anxious  to 
join  in  the  pursuit  of  the  savages.  I  tried  to  pre 
vail  upon  him  to  go  down  to  the  landing  with  the 
soldiers ;  but  he  was  resolute,  and  declared  that 
he  would  follow  the  Indians  till  he  recovered  his 
daughter. 

"  One  of  us  should  go  down  with  the  soldiers, 
and  take  care  of  Mrs.  Gracewood  ;  for  I  suppose 
she  no  longer  thinks  of  going  to  Oregon,"  I  said. 

'•'  Why  will  you  not  go,  Phil  Farringford  ?  "  he 
replied. 

"  I  am  to  act  as  the  guide  for  the  soldiers  who 
pursue  the  Indians." 
9 


130  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  I  will  guide  them,"  added  Mr.  Grace  wood. 

"  Either  of  you,"  interposed  the  lieutenant. 

I  was  anxious  to  go  with  the  soldiers  myself, 
and  to  have  a  hand  in  capturing  the  miscreants 
who  had  carried  off  Ella  ;  but  her  father  had  a 
stronger  claim  upon  this  duty,  and  I  yielded. 
Two  miles  above  the  point  where  we  had  passed 
the  dugouts,  the  steamer  made  a  landing.  After 
I  had  explained  to  Lieutenant  Pope  the  nature  of 
the  country,  and  the  localities  of  the  streams,  he 
decided  to  take  only  half  his  force  with  him,  and 
to  send  the  other  half  to  the  landing,  with  instruc 
tions  to  march  up  the  Little  Fish  towards  the  In 
dian  village.  The  two  detachments  would  come 
together  on  the  river  before  reaching  their  final 
destination. 

The  soldiers  who  were  to  pursue  the  Indians 
landed,  and  the  steamer  started  again.  It  was 
about  noon  when  we  reached  the  landing  at  the 
Castle.  The  captain,  who  had  been  detained  so 
long  by  the  events  narrated  that  he  was  impatient 
to  be  on  his  voyage  up  the  river  again,  hurried  the 
soldiers  on  shore.  Mrs.  Gracewood  bade  adieu  to 
her  brother  and  his  wife,  who  proceeded  on  their 
long  journey.  It  was  hard  to  leave  without  know- 


THE    FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  131 

ing  the  fate  of  poor  Ella,  but  the  circumstances 
were  imperative.  1  conducted  Mrs.  Gracewood  to 
the  shore,  and  the  steamer  departed. 

The  poor  mother  was  in  a  state  bordering  on 
frenzy.  Her  anxiety  and  suspense  were  hardly 
endurable.  I  went  up  to  the  Castle,  caught  the 
horses,  harnessed  them  to  the  wagon,  and  conveyed 
her  and  her  trunks  to  the  house.  In  the  mean 
time  the  soldiers  had  marched  up  to  the  clearing, 
and  decided  to  pitch  their  tents  near  the  block 
house,  for  they  were  not  to  start  for  the  upper 
country  till  the  next  morning,  lest  the  Indians 
should  be  alarmed  before  the  other  force  could 
reach  the  place  of  meeting. 

The  troops  hauled  their  tents  and  provision  to 
the  camp  ground  with  my  team ;  and  the  scene  at 
the  clearing  was  vastly  more  lively  than  1  had 
ever  before  seen  there.  Mrs.  Gracewood  could 
not  stay  in  the  Castle,  and  she  joined  me  in  the 
field.  I  said  all  that  I  could  to  comfort  and  con 
sole  her.  I  know  not  how  many  times  she  asked 
me  whether  I  thought  the  savages  would  kill  her 
daughter.  I  did  not  believe  they  would. 

"  Why  should  they,  Mrs.  Gracewood  ? "  I  rea 
soned.  "  They  know  very  well  that  such  a  murder 


132  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

would  bring  a  terrible  vengeance  upon  them.  Be 
fore  this  time  they  have  seen  that  the  soldiers  are 
on  their  track." 

"  Why  should  they  carry  her  off,  then  ?  "  asked 
the  poor  mother,  wiping  away  the  tears  that  so 
frequently  blinded  her. 

"  As  a  prisoner,  alive  and  well,  she  may  be  of 
great  value  to  her  captors.  They  may  procure  a 
large  ransom  for  her,  or  they  may  protect  them 
selves  by  having  her  in  their  power.  To  kill  her 
would  bring  nothing  but  disaster  to  them." 

"  But  they  will  at  least  abuse  her." 

"  They  may  compel  her  to  travel  too  fast  for  her 
strength,  for  the  soldiers  will  keep  them  moving 
at  a  rapid  rate.  Wasn't  it  very  singular  that  she 
was  left  behind  last  night  ? "  1  asked,  wishing  to 
change  the  current  of  her  thoughts  a  little,  if  pos 
sible. 

"  It  seems  strange  now.  I  did  not  think  of  such 
a  thing  as  that  she  was  not  on  the  steamer.  I  sup 
posed  she  was  in  her  state-room  reading  till  even 
ing.  Her  room  was  lighted,  as  usual ;  and  when 
I  retired,  as  the  light  seemed  to  assure  me  she  was 
there,  I  thought  I  would  not  disturb  her.  The 
steamer  stopped  at  the  fort.  She  did  not  appear 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.       133 

at  breakfast,  and  I  went  to  her  room.  I  was  fright 
ened  when  I  saw  that  it  had  not  been  occupied, 
and  1  ran  to  the  captain.  Inquiry  proved  that  she 
had  not  been  seen  since  we  left  this  landing.  I 
was  told  that  people  lived  here,  and  that  she  would 
not  suffer.  As  soon  as  the  freight  was  unloaded, 
the  steamer  returned." 

While  I  was  talking  with  her,  the  shrill  scream 
ing  of  a  steamboat  whistle  assured  me  I  had 
another  customer  for  wood.  Slinging  my  rifle 
over  my  shoulder,  —  for  in  these  troublous  times 
it  was  not  safe  to  go  unarmed,  —  I  rode  old 
Firefly  down  to  the  landing.  I  sold  twenty  cords 
of  cotton-wood,  and  put  eighty  dollars  into  my 
pocket.  I  told  the  captain  all  the  news,  while  the 
hands  were  loading  the  fuel ;  and  the  steamer  went 
on  her  winding  way  up  the  river.  In  a  short  time 
she  disappeared  beyond  the  bend.  I  was  about  to 
mount  my  horse,  and  return  to  the  Castle,  when  I 
discovered  a  dugout  in  the  distance  cautiously 
stealing  down  the  great  river,  under  the  shadow 
of  the  bank.  It  contained  two  Indians ;  but  I 
was  thrilled  with  excitement  when  I  discovered 
a  young  lady  seated  between  them. 

It  was  Ella  Gracewood. 


134  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

I  was  in  a  clump  of  trees,  where  I  had  fastened 
Firefly,  and  the  savages  could  not  see  me.  I  un- 
slung  my  rifle,  and  satisfied  myself  that  it  was  in 
condition  for  use.  Breathless  with  interest  and 
anxiety,  1  watched  the  dugout.  I  realized  that 
the  Indians  had  doubled  on  the  soldiers  in  pursuit 
of  them  by  returning  to  their  boats,  and  coining 
down  Crooked  River.  They  evidently  intended 
to  ascend  the  Fish  River.  Aware  that  the  troops 
were  in  hot  pursuit  of  them,  I  could  understand 
that  their  only  solicitude  was  to  escape  with  their 
prisoner,  whose  presence  was  a  sort  of  guarantee 
of  their  own  safety. 

I  hardly  dared  to  breathe,  lest  the  savages 
should  discover  me.  I  crouched  behind  a  bush, 
and  watched  the  progress  of  the  enemy,  as  they 
rounded  the  point,  and  paddled  up  the  Fish  River. 
1  could  not  make  up  my  mind  what  to  do.  If  I 
went  up  to  the  camp  to  inform  the  soldiers  of  what 
I  had  seen,  1  should  lose  sight  of  the  dugout.  I 
expected  every  moment  to  see  the  other  two  In 
dians  come  round  the  point  in  the  second  dugout, 
but  they  did  not  appear. 

As  the  savages  ascended  the  stream,  I  crawled 
out  of  my  hiding-place.  Mr.  Gracewood's  barge 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        135 

had  been  left  at  the  landing  by  the  steamer,  and 
I  launched  it  as  the  dugout  disappeared  beyond  a 
bend  in  the  creek.  I  rowed  with  the  utmost  cau 
tion  up  the  stream,  fearful  that  the  quick  ear  of 
the  Indians  might  detect  the  sound  of  the  oars.  I 
took  the  precaution  to  muffle  the  oars,  using  an  old 
coat  I  found  in  the  boat  for  the  purpose.  At  the 
bend  where  I  had  lost  sight  of  the  enemy,  I  held 
the  barge  by  an  overhanging  branch,  until  I  had 
satisfied  myself  that  it  was  safe  to  proceed.  The 
dugout  was  not  in  sight,  and  I  continued  to  pull 
up  the  stream,  pausing  at  every  turn  to  take  an 
observation. 

As  it  was  not  safe  for  me  to  go  forward  while 
the  dugout  could  be  seen,  I  had  not  obtained 
another  view  of  it  when  I  reached  the  junction  of 
the  Big  and  Little  Fish  Creeks.  As  the  soldiers 
were  between  the  former  and  Crooked  River,  I 
knew  the  fugitives  would  not  take  that  branch, 
and  I  confidently  pulled  up  the  Little  Fish.  Two 
miles  above  the  junction  the  rapids  commenced, 
and  boats  could  go  no  farther  in  this  direction. 
Unfortunately  the  stream  was  too  straight  to  suit 
my  purpose,  and  seeing  the  dugout  half  a  mile 


136  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

ahead  of  mo,  I  landed,  and  determined  to  walk  in 
the  path  on  the  bank  of  the  creek. 

The  trees  enabled  me  to  keep  out  of  sight,  and 
I  quickened  my  pace,  so  as  to  lessen  the  distance 
between  myself  and  the  enemy.  As  they  made 
but  slow  progress  against  the  current,  I  was  soon 
as  near  them  as  I  dared  to  go.  In  this  manner  I 
crept  along  the  path  till  the  dugout  arrived  at  the 
rapids.  The  Indians  landed,  and  compelled  Ella 
to  do  so.  I  could  not  see  her  face,  but  I  judged 
that  she  had  in  some  degree  become  reconciled  to 
her  situation. 

The  place  where  the  fugitives  landed  was  at  the 
mouth  ,of  the  little  brook  up  which  Mr.  Gracewood 
and  I  had  followed  the  horse  thieves.  The  rapids 
were  just  above  the  mouth  of  this  stream,  and  the 
locality  was  my  favorite  fishing-ground.  I  sup 
posed  the  savages  would  follow  the  path  on  the 
bank  of  the  creek,  which  led  to  the  Indian  village ; 
but  instead  of  doing  so,  they  struck  into  the  Avoods 
by  the  route  the  horse  thieves  had  taken.  I 
walked  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  brook ;  but  I  knew 
the  Indians  could  go  but  a  short  distance  in  the 
direction  they  had  chosen.  It  was  nearly  sun 
down,  and  I  concluded  that  they  intended  to  en- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        137 

camp  for  the  night.  I  had  about  decided  to  return 
to  the  Castle,  and  procure  the  assistance  of  the 
soldiers,  when  I  heard  one  of  the  Indians  ap 
proaching.  Concealing  myself  behind  a  tree,  1 
waited  to  observe  his  movements. 

He  went  to  the  river,  embarked  in  the  dugout, 
and  pushing  out  into  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
commenced  fishing,  riot  fifty  yards  from  me.  I 
could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  open  the  battle, 
and  taking  deliberate  aim  at  the  Indian  with  my 
rifle,  I  fired. 


138  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

IN  WHICH   PHIL    AND    HIS    COMPANION    ARRIVE   AT   THE 
CABIN   OF   KIT   CRUNCHER. 

IF  I  had  considered  the  matter  a  moment  longer, 
probably  I  should  not  have  had  the  courage  to 
open  the  battle ;  for,  if  I  failed  to  hit  the  Indian, 
my  situation  would  become  desperate,  and  with  an 
empty  rifle  in  my  hand,  I  could  only  depend  upon 
my  legs  for  safely,  while  the  savages  would  bo 
able  to  escape  with  their  prize  before  the  soldiers 
could  be  brought  up. 

Fortunately  for  me,  I  did  not  miss  my  aim.  My 
bullet  evidently  passed  through  the  brain  of  the 
savage,  for  he  threw  up  his  arms,  and  dropped 
over  into  the  bottom  of  the  dugout.  His  fell  dis 
turbed  the  boat,  and  detached  it  from  the  over 
hanging  branch  by  which  he  had  secured  it,  to 
enable  him  to  fish.  The  current  whirled  it  around, 
and  carried  it  down  the  river. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER        139 

Though  I  could  not  rid  myself  of  a  certain  sen 
sation  of  horror,  when  I  found  that  I  had  actually 
taken  a  human  life,  I  was  well  satisfied  with  what  1 
had  done.  My  frame  trembled  with  emotion  and 
excitement  as  I  hastened  to  load  my  rifle  again.  I 
expected  that  the  sound  of  the  shot  would  bring 
the  other  Indian  to  the  spot,  and  I  nervously 
awaited  his  approach  ;  but  he  did  not  appear.  As 
the  first  Indian  had  come  to  the  creek  to  obtain 
food,  his  companion  doubtless  supposed  he  had 
fired  at  some  game.  The  wind  wafted  the  smell 
of  smoke  to  me,  and  I  surmised  that  the  savage  at 
the  camp  was  preparing  to  cook  the  fish  or  game 
which  the  other  was  to  obtain. 

The  sun  went  down,  and  it  began  to  be  dark  in 
the  shades  of  the  forest.  I  had  become  composed 
and  resolute  again,  after  waiting  half  an  hour  for 
the  coming  of  the  other  redskin.  I  had  arrived 
at  the  conclusion  that  it  was  not  worth  while  to 
return  to  the  Castle  for  the  soldiers.  I  was  sure 
that  the  Indian  at  the  carnp  fire  would  soon  come 
down  to  the  creek  to  ascertain  what  had  become 
of  his  companion.  To  prevent  him  from  stum 
bling  upon  me,  I  retreated  a  little  farther  from  the  • 
stream  into  the  forest.  I  could  not  be  mistaken  in 


140  FIELD    AND   FOREST,   OR 

my  calculation,  which  was  soon  verified  by  the 
sound  of  footsteps  in  the  direction  of  the  Indian 
camp. 

I  found  my  heart  beating  violently  again,  and  1 
dreaded  the  necessity  of  shooting  the  savage  al 
most  as  much  as  I  did  the  consequences  if  I  failed 
to  do  so.  It  was  still  light  enough  for  me  to  see 
him  distinctly  when  he  made  his  appearance  on 
the  bank  of  the  brook.  I  raised  my  rifle  with  the 
intention  of  firing  the  instant  he  stopped  long 
enough  to  enable  mo  to  insure  my  aim,  for  I  had 
not  confidence  enough  to  shoot  while  he  was  in 
motion.  But  I  was  so  agitated  that  I  was  not  in 
condition  to  do  justice  to  my  own  skill.  The 
savage  walked  rapidly  to  the  bank  of  the  creek, 
and  halted,  looking  up  and  down  in  search  of  the 
dugout  and  his  companion. 

"  Ugh ! "  grunted  he,  in  order  to  express  his 
dissatisfaction  at  the  long  absence  of  his  associate, 
T  suppose. 

Then  he  shouted,  and  waited  for  a  response  from 
his  absent  friend  ;  but  he  did  not  hold  still  long 
enough  to  enable  me  to  cover  his  head  with  the 
muzzle  of  my  piece.  I  was  so  excited  by  the 
consideration  of  the  fatal  consequences  to  me,  and 


THE   FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  141 

perhaps  to  Ella,  if  I  failed  to  bring  him  down,  that 
I  had  not  pluck  enough  to  fire.  I  had  slain  one 
man,  and  it  was  awful  to  think  of  killing  another. 
I  would  have  given  all  the  gold  in  my  pocket  if 
Kit  Cruncher  had  stood  by  my  side  at  that  instant, 
and  relieved  me  of  the  fearful  responsibility  of  the 
occasion. 

Of  course  there  was  no  response  to  the  call  of 
the  Indian ;  and,  after  glancing  all  around  him,  he 
walked  rapidly  down  the  path  on  the  bank  of  the 
creek  in  search  of  his  lost  mate.  This  movement 
on  his  part  afforded  me  a  new  hope.  As  Ella  had 
not  come  to  the  stream  with  her  surviving  captor, 
it  was  evident  enough  that  he  had  left  her  at  the 
camp  fire,  probably  tied  to  a  tree,  or  otherwise 
secured. 

I  waited  till  the  Indian  had  disappeared,  and 
then  hastened  in  the  direction  of  the  camp.  I  did 
not  take  much  pains  to  move  without  noise,  for  I 
concluded  that  the  Indian  would  have  his  ear  to 
the  ground  frequently,  to  obtain  tidings  of  his 
missing  associate.  I  ran  with  all  the  speed  I 
could  command.  I  found  Ella  fastened  to  a  tree 
near  the  fire.  Her  hands  were  tied  behind  her, 
so  that  she  was  unable  to  help  herself. 


142  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  0,  Phil  Farringford ! "  cried  she,  as  I  ap 
proached. 

"  Don't  make  any  noise,  Ella,"  I  replied,  cutting 
the  cords  which  bound  her.  "  Follow  me,  and  be 
very  careful.'' 

"  Where  are  the  Indians  ? "  she  asked,  in  a 
whisper,  her  teeth  chattering  with  terror  and 
excitement. 

"  I  have  shot  one,  and  the  other  is  not  far  off." 

I  conducted  my  fair  companion  a  short  distance 
down  the  brook,  and  taking  her  in  my  arms,  I  bore 
her  across  the  stream. 

"  Hark  ! "  said  I,  as  1  placed  her  on  the  other 
side. 

We  listened,  and  I  heard  the  Indian  shouting  for 
his  companion.  From  the  direction  of  the  sound 
I  concluded  that  he  was  near  the  mouth  of  the 
brook.  Certainly  he  had  retraced  his  steps  from 
the  point  where  he  was  when  I  started  to  rescue 
Ella.  It  was  probable  that  he  had  heard  my  steps, 
but  doubtless  he  supposed  they  were  those  of 
his  missing  mate.  I  had  made  considerable  noise 
when  1  scrambled  up  the  steep  bank  of  the  brook 
with  my  burden,  which  was  immediately  followed 
by  his  call. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        148 

"  He  has  heard  us,"  I  whispered,  preparing  my 
rifle  for  use. 

"  What  shall  I  do?"  asked  my  trembling  charge. 

"  Come  with  me.  The  brook  is  between  him 
and  us  now,  and  I  don't  think  he  will  hear  our 
steps,  if  we  move  very  carefully." 

I  took  her  by  the  hand  and  led  her  through  the 
dark  forest.  I  intended  to  proceed  in  an  easterly 
direction  till  I  came  to  Kit  Cruncher's  Brook,  and 
then  follow  the  path  along  its  bank  to  the  Castle. 
I  paused  occasionally  to  listen,  but  I  heard  no 
more  shouting.  The  savage  had  probably  gone 
back  to  his  camp,  and  discovered  that  his  prisoner 
was  missing. 

"  We  must  hurry  along  as  fast  as  we  can,  Ella," 
said  I,  finding  that  my  companion  was  inclined  to 
go  very  slowly. 

"  I  am  very  tired,  Phil." 

"  1  am  sorry,  but  we  cannot  waste  our  time.  If 
that  Indian  can  find  where  we  crossed  the  brook, 
he  will  pursue  us." 

"  How  far  must  we  go  ?  " 

"  It  is  five  miles  to  the  Castle,  but  it  is  only  two 
to  Kit  Cruncher's  cabin." 

"  I  am  very  faint,  for  I  have  eaten  nothing  since 


144  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

we  breakfasted  on  the  island  very  early  this  morn 
ing/'  added  Ella. 

"  I  think  I  can  find  something  for  you  to  eat 
when  we  get  to  Kit's  cabin." 

"  But  where  is  my  father,  Phil  ? "  asked  Ella. 
"  I  hope  nothing  has  happened  to  him." 

"  Nothing  has  happened  to  him.  He  is  with  the 
soldiers  who  landed  up  Crooked  River.  Did  you 
not  see  the  troops  ?  " 

"  I  saw  them  when  they  landed,  but  not  after 
wards." 

"  Did  the  Indians  use  you  badly  ?  "  I  inquired. 

"  No  ;  they  only  compelled  me  to  walk  when  I 
was  so  tired  that  every  step  was  painful." 

"Where  did  you  go  after  you  left  the  dugouts?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  We  travelled  till  we 
came  to  another  river." 

"  That  was  the  Great  Fish,"  I  added. 

"  Two  of  the  Indians  left  us  then,  and  paddled 
across  this  river  on  a  log.  They  had  a  talk  before 
they  separated,  and  they  pointed  often  at  me.  I 
knew  that  it  was  about  me." 

11  Where  did  you  go  then  ?  "  I  asked,  anxious,  if 
possible,  to  ascertain  the  plan  of  the  savages. 

"  We  walked   back   again   till  we    came   to   the 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  145 

edge  of  the  forest,  not  fur  from  the  river.  Here 
one  of  the  Indians  lay  down  on  the  ground,  so  that 
the  soldiers  could  not  see  him,  and  crawled  to  tho 
stream.  Tho  other  led  me  through  tho  woods 
towards  the  Missouri,  two  or  three  miles,  I  should 
think ;  at  any  rate,  I  was  completely  exhausted. 
At  last  we  arrived  at  the  great  river,  in  sight  of 
the  island  where  my  father  lived." 

"  But  where  were  the  soldiers?"  I  asked. 

"  I  suppose  they  were  beating  about  the  woods, 
looking  for  us.  The  Indian  drove  me  down  the 
steep  bank  of  the  river  to  the  water-side.  I  was 
terribly  frightened,  and  if  my  savage  conductor 
had  not  held  my  arm  I  should  have  slipped  down 
into  the  river.  Here  I  was  permitted  to  rest  my 
self  for  an  hour,  and  then  the  other  Indian  came 
in  the  boat." 

"  Did  you  see  the  steamer  that  went  up  the 
river  this  afternoon  ?  " 

"  I  did ;  and  when  the  Indians  heard  the  whistle, 
they  ran  the  boat  into  a  creel-;,  and  kept  very 
quiet  until  she  had  passed.  Then  they  paddled 
up  the  river  by  the  wood-yard." 

"  I  saw  you  when  you  went  by,  and  followed  in 
your  father's  barge,"  I  added. 
10 


146  FIELD    AND   FOREST,    OR 

"  Did  you  come  all  alone  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  there  are  about  thirty  soldiers  at  the 
Castle ;  but  I  thought,  if  I  went  after  them,  I 
should  lose  sight  of  you,  and  so  I  came  up  alone. 
I  have  some  good  news  for  you,  Ella." 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked,  faintly. 

"  Your  father  and  mother  met  on  board  of  the 
steamer,  and  are  now  good  friends." 

"  I  am  so  glad  !  But  I  do  wish  we  could  rest," 
she  added. 

"  Sit  down  on  this  log,  Ella,"  I  replied,  conduct 
ing  her  to  a  fallen  tree.  "  I  haven't  heard  any 
thing  from  that  Indian,  and  I  don't  believe  he  is 
on  our  track." 

"  0,  I  hope  not ;  but  I  couldn't  run  if  I  saw  him 
this  instant." 

11  We  ought  to  get  back  to  the  Castle  to-night, 
if  it  is  possible,"  I  added. 

"  I  don't  believe  I  can  walk  so  far." 

"  Your  poor  mother  is  suffering  every  moment. 
If  she  only  knew  you  were  safe,  I  would  not  go 
farther  than  Kit's  cabin  to-night." 

After  resting  for  half  an  hour,  we  resumed  the 
weary  tramp  through  the  woods,  and  at  last 
reached  the  brook  on  the  other  side  of  which 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        147 

was  the  hunter's  log  hut.  There  was  a  light  in 
it,  which  assured  me  Kit  was  at  home.  I  carried 
Ella  over  the  stream  in  my  arms,  and  we  ap 
proached  the  house.  I  took  the  precaution  to 
reconnoitre  the  premises  before  I  entered,  for  it 
was  not  impossible  that  some  of  the  enemy  had 
taken  possession  of  the  cabin ;  but  through  the 
open  door  I  saw  the  tall  hunter  at  work  over  the 
fire,  evidently  cooking  his  supper. 

"  How  are  you,  Kit  ?  "  said  I,  leading  my  charge 
into  his  presence. 

"  Are  you  hyer,  Phil,  boy ! "  exclaimed  he. 
"Who's  that  with  you?" 

"  It's  Mr.  Mellowtone's  daughter." 
"  I  never  knowed  he  had  a  darter." 
As    briefly   as    possible,    I   told   Kit   what   had 
occurred  since  he  left  the  clearing. 

"  I've  jest  kim  in  from  the  nor'ard,"  said  he. 
"  The  Injuns  is  on  the  rampage.  There's  more'n 
a  hund'ed  on  'em  not  rnore'n  a  two  hours'  tramp 
up  the  Little  Fish,  and  there's  goin'  to  be  more 
trouble.  I  was  goin'  down  to  the  Castle  as  soon 
as  I'd  eat  my  supper.  I  ain't  sartin  there  ain't 
some  redskins  'tween  hyer  and  the  clearing. 


148  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

Leastwise,  I  don't  think  it's  safe  to  go  down  by 
the  brook  path." 

1  was  surprised  and  annoyed  at  his  last  remark ; 
and  Kit,  after  putting  another  slice  of  bacon  in 
the  pan  over  the  fire,  proceeded  to  explain  the 
ground  of  his  fears. 


THE  FOETUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        149 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL    ROWS   THE   BARGE    UP    THE    BIG    FISH 
RIVER. 

IF  there  were  any  Indians  between  the  Castle 
and  Kit  Cruncher's  cabin,  we  were  certainly 
between  two  fires,  and  it  was  necessary  that  some 
thing  should  be  done  very  soon. 

"  What  makes  you  think  there  are  Indians  be 
low  us,  Kit  ?  "  1  asked. 

"  I'll  tell  you,  boy,"  replied  the  patriarchal  hunt 
er,  as  he  turned  a  slice  of  bacon  in  the  pan.  "  I've 
seen  Injun  tracks  p'inted  that  way." 

"  Where  did  you  see  them  ?  " 

"  Over  on  the  Little  Fish.  It  has  rained  hard 
sence  I  went  up  the  river,  and  the  tracks  I  see  was 
new  ones." 

"  Were  they  above  or  below  the  lower  rapids  ?  " 

"  Above,  boy.  1  struck  across  the  country  above 
the  swamp,  and  hit  my  brook  near  the  spring 


150  FIELD    AND    FOREST.    OB 

where  it  starts.  Two  Injuns  had  come  down,  1 
know." 

"  Well,  Kit,  those  were  the  two  who  crossed  the 
Big  Fish  on  a  log  —  two  of  the  four  who  went  to 
the  island  this  morning  and  captured  Miss  Grace- 
wood.  The  other  two  came  around  by  the  river 
in  the  dugout,  and  camped  near  the  lower  rapids. 
.In  my  opinion,  they  had  agreed  to  meet  there." 

"  Most  like  it  is  as  you  say,  boy.  I'm  glad  it's 
no  wus.  But  'tain't  safe  for  the  gal  to  stay  hyer. 
There'll  be  a  hund'ed  Injuns  down  hyer  to-morrow, 
mebbe  as  arly  as  daylight.  I  cal'late  them  two 
that  come  over  this  rnornin'  is  doggin'  round  the 
Castle  now." 

"If  they  are,  they  have  found  a  camp  of  sol 
diers  there,  arid  not  a  very  good  chance  to  plun 
der  the  place." 

Kit  Cruncher  placed  the  frying-pan,  in  which 
the  great  slices  of  bacon  had  been  cooked,  upon  a 
chest,  with  a  basket  of  crackers.  Ella  ate  heartily 
of  the  meat,  for  it  was  very  good,  in  spite  of  the 
homely  manner  in  which  it  was  served.  We  fin 
ished  the  meal  without  any  interruption  from  In 
dians  or  others.  The  poor  girl  declared  that  she 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        151 

felt  very  much  refreshed  and  strengthened,  and 
was  able  to  walk  again. 

"  Now  we  are  ready  for  a  start,"  said  Kit,  when 
he  had  put  his  house  in  order. 

"  How  far  is  it  through  the  woods  to  the  Little 
Fish,  Kit  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Across  hyer  'tain't  more'n  a  mile." 

"  Then  I  think  we  had  better  go  that  way,"  I 
added.  "  I  left  Mr.  Gracewood's  boat  not  far  from 
the  place  where  the  two  rivers  join,  and  we  can  go 
down  in  that." 

"  Very  well,  boy ;  but  I  cal'late  there's  three 
Injuns  atween  us  and  the  Castle  somewhar.  But 
'tain't  no  matter ;  if  they  show  theirselves,  my 
rifle  will  make  quick  work  on  'em." 

We  crossed  the  brook,  and  struck  into  the  woods 
on  the  other  side.  Ella  walked  by  my  side,  hold 
ing  my  hand,  while  Kit  led  the  way  through  the 
gloomy  forest. 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  my  father  is  now, 
Phil  ?  "  asked  the  poor  girl. 

"  With  the  soldiers." 

"  But  where  are  the  soldiers  ?  " 

"  They  are  in  the  woods  beyond  the  Big  Fish, 
1  suppose.  They  must  have  scoured  the  woods 


152  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

down  to  the  Missouri  before  dark.  I  have  no 
means  of  knowing  whether  they  were  able  to  find 
any  tracks  of  the  fugitives  to  assist  them ;  if  not, 
they  have  been  very  much  puzzled.'' 

"  And  all  this  time  my  poor  father  thinks  I  am 
in  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  and  fears  that  I  have 
been  killed  or  abused,"  added  Ella. 

"  I  am  very  sorry ;  but  I  do  not  see  that  we  can 
do  anything  to-night  to  relieve  his  anxiety." 

"  No,  Phil,  I  see  that  you  cannot.  You  have 
been  very  brave  and  noble,  and  very  kind  to  me, 
and  I  shall  remember  you  with  gratitude  as  long 
as  I  live." 

"  I  don't  ask  for  anything  better  than  to  serve 
you,"  I  replied.  "  In  the  morning  the  troops  at 
the  Castle  will  start,  and  I  have  no  doubt  they  will 
communicate  with  those  beyond  the  Big  Fish  in 
the  course  of  the  day." 

"  I  do  wish  father  were  here.  I  am  afraid  he 
will  expose  himself  to  the  Indians,  or  wear  himself 
out,  he  is  so  anxious  for  me." 

"  We  will  do  the  best  we  can  to  let  him  know 
that  you  are  safe.  Perhaps  Kit  and  1  will  try  to 
find  him,  as  soon  as  we  have  conducted  you  to 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        153 

the  Castle,  and  relieved  the  anxiety  of  your  poor 
mother." 

We  marched  very  cautiously  through  the  woods, 
and  with  our  rifles  in  our  hands  ready  for  instant 
use.  In  a  short  time,  under  the  skilful  lead  of  the 
hunter,  we  reached  the  river ;  but  I  had  left  the 
barge  a  mile  farther  down  the  stream. 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  we  shall  find  the  barge 
where  I  left  it,  Kit,"  said  I,  as  we  took  the  path  on 
the  bank  of  the  Little  Fish. 

"  Most  like  you  won't,  boy.  That  Injun  that 
went  down  to  look  for  t'other  mought  have 
took  it." 

"  What  will  you  do,  then  ?  "  asked  Ella. 

"  We  shall  be  obliged  to  walk  another  mile,  to 
the  landing-place." 

My  trembling  companion  was  constantly  in  fear 
of  an  attack  from  the  savages,  or  that  a  shot  from 
them  would  hit  her,  or  some  other  one  of  the  party. 
I  said  all  I  could  to  comfort  and  assure  her ;  but 
the  circumstances  were  so  novel  to  her  that  she 
could  not  be  reconciled  to  them.  As  1  was  not 
without  fear  myself,  I  could  not  take  the  matter  so 
coolly  as  Kit  did.  But  the  old  hunter,  steady  and 
brave  as  he  was  in  peril,  was  a  prudent  man,  and 


154  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

not  at  all  disposed  to  bo  reckless.  He  knew  that 
an  Indian  bullet  could  kill  him,  as  well  as  another 
man,  and  he  had  none  of  that  affectation  of  cour 
age  which  so  often  belies  the  boaster  and  the  reck 
less  man. 

"  Hyer's  your  barge,"  said  Kit,  ahead  of  us, 
when  we  had  gone  less  than  half  a  mile  down  the 
stream. 

"  So  it  is ;  but  I  did  not  leave  it  here,"  I  replied, 
as  1  glanced  at  the  boat. 

"  That  Injun  has  come  up  stream  in  it,  and  left 
it  hyer.  Most  like  he  ain't  fur  from  hyer." 

I  assisted  Ella  into  the  barge.  Kit  seated  him 
self  in  the  bow,  and  I  took  the  oars. 

"  Fotch  her  over  under  the  further  shore,  boy," 
said  Kit,  as  I  pushed  off  the  boat.  "  Keep  as  fur 
as  you  kin  from  danger  allus." 

The  old  hunter's  suggestion  was  certainly  a 
good  one,  as  was  fully  demonstrated  only  a  few 
minutes  later.  I  pulled  the  barge  to  the  other 
side  of  the  river ;  but  we  had  gone  only  a  few 
rods  before  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  followed  by  a 
whizzing  bullet,  assured  us  the  enemy  were  at 
hand.  The  barge  was  painted  white,  and  was  a 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        155 

shining  mark  in  the  night  for  the  savages  to 
fire  at. 

"  O,  mercy  !  "  cried  Ella. 

"  Did  it  hit  you  ?  "  I  asked,  alarmed  by  her  cry. 

"  No,  no  —  but  —  " 

"  Don't  make  any  noise,  then." 

"  Run  the  barge  ashore  hyer,  boy,"  said  Kit 
Cruncher,  quietly. 

I  obeyed  instantly  ;  but  another  shot  followed 
the  first  one,  though,  fortunately,  neither  of  them 
did  any  harm. 

"  Let  the  gal  go  ashore,"  added  Kit. 

I  understood  his  plan,  and  assisted  Ella  to  land. 

-"  Run  up  the  bank  into  the  woods,  and  get  be 
hind  a  tree,"  I  said  to  her,  as  a  third  shot  came 
across  the  river. 

But  the  Indians  were  firing  blindly  in  the  dark, 
and  though  the  last  bullet  hit  the  boat,  we  were 
still  safe.  Kit  stepped  on  the  shore,  and  we 
dragged  the  boat  out  of  the  water.  The  hunter 
paused  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  gazed  across 
in  the  direction  from  which  the  shots  came. 

"  There's  three  on  'em  over  thyer,"  said  Kit. 
"  The  shots  was  too  near  together  to  come  out  of 


156  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

one  barrel.  Haul  the  barge  up  the  bank  afore 
they  hev  time  to  load  up  agin." 

The  barge  was  light,  and  we  had  no  difficulty 
in  taking  it  up  the  bank  into  the  woods.  For  the 
present  we  were  safe ;  but  it  was  certain  that 
there  were  three  savages  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
and  between  us  and  the  Castle.  We  had,  luckily, 
escaped  injury  so  far,  and  Kit  was  not  the  man  to 
lead  us  into  any  unnecessary  peril.  We  were  now 
on  the  tongue  of  land  between  the  Big  and  the 
Little  Fish  Rivers,  and  only  a  short  distance  above 
their  junction.  At  the  point  where  we  landed  it 
was  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  one  river  to 
the  other. 

"  We  can't  go  down  Fish  River  to-night,"  said  I, 
when  we  had  pulled  the  boat  up  the  bank. 

"  Not  without  resk,  boy,"  replied  Kit. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  asked  the  frightened  Ella. 

"  Don't  be  skeered,  little  gal,"  interposed  Kit, 
in  a  tone  more  tender  than  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
using.  "  You  are  as  safe  hyer  as  you'd  be  in  your 
marrn's  lap." 

"  Can't  the  savages  come  over  here  ? "  she  in 
quired. 

"  'Pears  like  they  can't ;  leastwise,  not  without 


THE    FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  157 

swimming,  and  we  kin  stop  'em  fastcr'n  they  kin 
come  over.  Rifle-balls  travels  fast,"  answered  Kit, 
sagely.  "  But  I  don't  reckon  they'll  want  to  come 
over  hyer." 

"  Do  you  suppose  they  know  there  are  soldiers 
at  the  clearing  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  don't  reckon  they  do.  They  mought  know 
it,  and  they  mought  not ;.  but  from  what  you  say, 
I  cal'late  they  hain't  had  time  to  go  down  and 
see." 

"  Perhaps  they  intended  to  go  there  to-night," 
I  suggested. 

"  It  mought  be." 

"  I  think  they  were  looking  for  something  to  eat 
first.  I  believe  the  two  Indians  who  came  across 
the  river  on  the  log  were  to  meet  the  other  two  at 
the  camp  on  the  brook  where  I  went.  They  knew 
they  could  get  plenty  of  fish  there.  After  I  shot 
one  of  the  party  at  the  camp,  the  remaining  one 
must  have  come  across  the  other  two.  They  will 
keep  between  us  and  the  Castle." 

"  Most  like  they've  been  lookin'  for  the  gal  all 
the  evenin',"  added  Kit. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  if  they  knew  the  soldiers  were 
at  the  clearing,  they  would  not  stay  here." 


158  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  'Tain't  much  use  to  guess  at  these  things. 
You  mought  as  well  shoot  at  nothin'  in  the  dark. 
We  can't  go  down  Fish  River  to-night ;  that's  all 
that's  sartin." 

"  That  is  very  true." 

"  And  I  cannot  see  my  mother  to-night,  then," 
said  Ella. 

"  I  dunno,  little  gal ;  'pears  like  you  can't ;  but 
mebbe  you  kin  see  your  father,"  replied  Kit. 
"  And  it  mought  be  you  kin  see  both.  I  dunno. 
We  must  be  keerf'ul.  Better  not  see  'em  till  to- 
morrer  'n  not  see  'em  at  all." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  seeing  her  father  to 
night,  Kit?"  I  inquired,  afraid  that  he  was  kin 
dling  vain  hopes  in  the  mind  of  the  suffering 
maiden. 

"  I'll  tell  you,  boy.  Ef,  as  you  say,  them  sol 
diers  is  rampagin'  over  the  country  'tween  the 
Fish  and  Crooked  River,  we  mought  find  'em  afore 
mornin'.  We  kin  kerry  this  boat  over  to  the  Big 
Fish,  and  land  on  t'other  side  on't." 

"  That's  a  capital  plan,  Kit,  and  our  safest 
course,"  I  replied. 

We  wasted  no  time  in  debating  a  question  on 
which  we  were  perfectly  agreed.  We  carried  the 


THE   FORTUNES    OP    A    FARMER.  159 

light  barge  across  the  tongue  of  land,  and  launched 
it  in  the  Big  Fish.  Our  party  embarked,  and  I 
pulled  up  the  river.  1  realized  that  it  would  not 
be  an  easy  matter  to  find  the  soldiers,  for  they 
would  not  kindle  any  camp  fire,  which  would  be- 
tray  their  presence  to  the  savages. 

I  pulled  vigorously,  for  half  an  hour,  against  the 
current ;  and  we  were  satisfied  that  the  three  In 
dians  had  not  crossed  the  river,  for  we  were  not 
again  annoyed  by  them.  As  the  barge  approached 
the  rapids,  beyond  which  we  could  not  go  by 
water,  we  heard  a  noise  on  the  shore. 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  "  shouted  a  soldier. 

"  Friends,"  I  replied. 

"  Advance,  friends,  and  give  the  countersign." 

We  had  no  countersign,  but  I  immediately  ran 
the  boat  ashore,  and  we  lauded. 


160  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 


CHAPTER  XV. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  AND   HIS   COMPANIONS   START   FOR  THE 
CASTLE. 


"  ~V1[7^^  aro  y°u^  "  demanded  the  soldier  who 
T  T  had  hailed  the  boat,  probably  astonished 
to  find  himself  answered  in  plain  English. 

"  Friends/'  I  replied. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Phil  Farringford." 

"  You  are  the  boy  that  came  on  board  the 
steamer  this  morning  ?  " 

11 1  am  ;  have  you  seen  any  Indians  to-day  ?  " 

"  Not  an  Indian." 

"  You  didn't  go  where  they  were,"  I  added. 

"  We  have  been  beating  about  the  woods  all 
day  ;  but  the  Indians  who  captured  the  girl  have 
dodged  us." 

"  Then  you  haven't  recovered  her  yet?" 

"  No." 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        161 

"  I  have  ;  and  here  she  is,'1  I  continued,  helping 
Ella  out  of  the  boat,  and  up  the  bank  of  the  river. 

By  this  time  half  a  dozen  soldiers  had  gathered 
on  the  shore,  with  their  blankets  on  their  arms. 
When  they  understood  that  the  young  lady  had 
been  recovered  from  the  Indians,  they  gave  an 
involuntary  cheer. 

"  Where  is  my  father?  "  asked  Ella,  anxiously. 

<;  I  suppose  he  is  with  Lieutenant  Pope,"  replied 
Corporal  Flint,  who  was  the  spokesman  of  the 
party.  "  The  headquarters  are  about  a  mile  up 
the  river/' 

"  I  must  go  to  him  at  once,"  added  Ella,  ner 
vously. 

"  You  shall,  miss.  The  hunt's  up  now,  and  we 
needn't  stay  here  any  longer,"  continued  the  cor 
poral.  "  We  are  divided  into  three  squads,  and 
posted  on  the  river  to  keep  the  Indians  from 
crossing." 

"  There  hasn't  been  an  Indian  on  this  neck  for 
six  hours,"  I  added ;  and  I  proceeded  to  inform 
the  corporal  in  what  manner  the  Indians  had  made 
their  escape. 

"  They  are  cunning,"  said  he.     "  They  know  the 
country  better  than  we  do." 
11 


162  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  Whar's  the  cap'n?"  demanded  Kit,  who  had 
been  engaged  in  hauling  the  barge  out  of  the 
water,  and  concealing  it  in  the  bushes. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  replied  Corporal  Flint,  as  the 
tall  hunter  loomed  up  before  him. 

"  I  don't  reckon  it  makes  any  matter  who  I  am ; 
but  I  want  to  see  the  cap'n,  and  show  him  whar 
the  redskins  is." 

"  Lieutenant  Pope  commands  the  troops,  and  he 
will  be  very  glad  to  know  where  the  redskins  are." 

"  My  father  is  with  him;  do  let  us  make  haste," 
said  Ella,  dragging  me  by  the  hand  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  next  post  of  the  soldiers. 

"  We  will  escort  you,  miss,"  added  the  corporal, 
ordering  his  squad  to  march. 

Our  walk  was  enlivened  by  the  frequent  chal 
lenge  of  the  sentinels  posted  along  the  bank  of 
the  river.  One  half  of  the  troops  were  watching 
the  stream,  while  the  other  half  slept.  In  a  short 
time  we  reached  the  bivouac  of  the  commanding 
officer.  As  we  approached,  I  recognized  the  form 
of  Mr.  Gracewood,  who  was  walking  back  and 
forth  near  the  party  asleep  on  the  ground. 

'•  Here  she  is,  Mr.  Gracewood ! "  I  shouted, 
while  the  soldiers  were  going  throngh  their  mili- 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  163 

tary  forms,  for  they  were  very  precise  in  all  these 
matters. 

The  unhappy  father  halted,  and  Ella  dragged 
me  towards  him,  impatient  to  heal  the  wounded 
heart.  He  seemed  to  be  unable  to  comprehend 
the  meaning  of  my  words ;  but  as  soon  as  he  saw 
her  in  the  gloom  of  the  forest,  he  rushed  forward 
and  clasped  her  in  his  arms.  I  heard  them  sob  in 
each  other's  embrace,  and  while  the  tears  started 
in  my  own  eyes,  I  had  an  all-sufficient  reward  for 
the  peril  and  labor  I  had  incurred  in  restoring  her. 

"  Why,  Ella,  I  can  hardly  believe  it  is  you,"  said 
he,  his  voice  tremulous  with  emotion. 

"  It  is  I,  father,"  she  replied,  clinging  to  him 
convulsively.  "  I  am  so  happy  !  " 

"Are  you  safe?  Are  you  hurt?  Did  they 
injure  you?" 

"  No,  father  I  have  been  awfully  frightened, 
but  I  am  not  hurt.  You  don't  say  a  word  to  Phil. 
He  saved  me." 

"  Phil  Farringford  !  " 

"  Yes,  father." 

"  My  dear  boy,  you  have  saved  me  from  a  misery 
you  cannot  understand,"  said  the  glad  parent, 
grasping  my  hand. 


164  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OK 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  do  something  for  you,  after 
you  have  done  so  much  for  me,  sir." 

"  But  how  was  it  ?  Tell  me  about  it.  Where 
did  you  find  her?"  asked  Mr.  Grace  wood. 

"I  congratulate  you,  sir,"  said  Lieutenant  Pope, 
approaching  the  spot,  having  learned  the  sub 
stance  of  the  story  from  Corporal  Flint. 

"  I  am  the  happiest  man  in  the  world,"  added 
Mr.  Gracewood,  with  enthusiasm.  "  Phil  Farring- 
ford  is  a  hero !  Now  let  us  know  where  you  found 
her." 

"  Here's  Kit  Cruncher,  too,"  I  added,  unwilling 
that  my  stalwart  ally  should  be  ignored. 

Mr.  Gracewood  shook  hands  with  Kit,  who  was 
duly  introduced  to  the  lieutenant. 

"  I'm  hyor,  Mr.  MelFton,  or  Mr.  Greasewood  — 
if  that's  your  name." 

"  Gracewood,"  interposed  the  happy  Ella. 

"  Jest  so  ;  Greasewood  —  that's  Avhat  I  say. 
I'm  hyer,  and  I  want  to  tell  the  cap'n  whar  the 
redskins  is  ;  but  I  don't  reckon  my  story'll  spile 
while  Phil  tells  you  about  the  gal.  Go  on,  boy ; 
wag  your  tongue  as  fast  as  you  wagged  your  legs 
to-day." 

"  I've  had  rather  a  long  tramp  to-day,  and  I'll  sit 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.        165 

down  and  rest  while  we  talk,"  I  answered,  availing 
myself  of  a  log. 

I  related  minutely  all  the  circumstances  of  the 
recapture  of  Ella,  and  gave  her  explanation  of  the 
plan  by  which  the  Indians  had  escaped  from  the 
soldiers. 

"  I  never  thought  of  those  dugouts,"  said  the 
lieutenant.  "  We  have  not  been  near  the  river 
to-day." 

"  Now,  cap'n,"  interposed  Kit  Cruncher,  "  the 
Injuns  from  the  nor'ard  is  on  a  rampage.  More'n 
a  hund'ed  on  'em  is  camped  on  the  head  streams 
of  the  Little  Fish,  working  down  this  way.  They 
mean  to  wipe  out  all  on  us.  They  stole  Matt's 
bosses,  but  we  got  'em  back.  Then  they  kim  down 
on  us,  and  two  or  three  on  'em  got  shot.  Now  the 
whole  on  'em's  comin'  down." 

"  I  will  take  care  of  them  if  you  will  show  me 
where  they  are,"  added  the  officer. 

"  I'll  do  that.  I  ain't  no  miliritry  man,  but  I  kin 
tell  you  how  to  fix  them  redskins.  Them  Injuns 
up  thar  has  got  bosses.  They're  go'n'  to  come 
down  by  the  Little  Fish.  Phil  tells  me  you  sent 
a  force  to  the  Castle.  Ef  you  take  'em  in  the  rear 
with  your  men,  by  marchin'  round  across  both  the 


166  FIELD   AND   FOREST,  OR 

Fish  rivers,  the  t'other  kin  take  'em  in  front,  and 
atwixt  the  two  you'll  chaw  'em  all  up." 

"  Do  you  think  we  had  better  march  to-night  ?  " 
asked  Lieutenant  Pope,  evidently  impressed  by 
the  suggestion  of  the  veteran  hunter. 

"  No ;  that  would  spile  the  whole  game.  Let 
'em  kiin  down  as  fur's  they  will." 

"  But  where  are  the  three  Indians  who  were 
engaged  in  the  capture  of  Miss  Gracewood  ? " 

"  They're  doggin'  round  the  clearin'  ;  but  I  don't 
reckon  they  know  any  sogers  is  over  thar  yet." 

"  They  will  join  the  large  force  on  the  Little 
Fish,  and  inform  them  of  our  presence  here." 

"  They  mought  do  it ;  but  a  march  of  seven 
mile  will  fotch  you  to  'em.  They'll  start  arly  'n 
the  mornin' ;  and  them  three  Injuns  won't  go  up 
to  their  camp  to-night,  for  they're  as  fur  off  from 
it  as  we  are.  Ef  you  start  at  sunrise,  you  kin  git 
in  behind  'em,  crossin'  both  rivers  in  the  forenoon." 

Kit  Cruncher  was  very  clear  in  his  views,  and 
the  commander  of  the  troops  saw  the  wisdom  of 
his  plan.  The  latter  knew  nothing  of  the  country, 
and  was  dependent  upon  the  information  afforded 
by  such  men  as  Kit  for  the  means  of  punishing  the 
Indians  when  they  violated  their  treaty  obligations. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  167 

"  As  my  daughter  cannot  go  with  you,  we  need 
remain  here  no  longer,"  said  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  But  you  can't  get  to  the  clearing  to-night," 
replied  Lieutenant  Pope.  "  You  may  be  inter 
cepted  by  these  strolling  savages ;  and  I  cannot 
spare  my  men  to  escort  you,  for  they  may  be 
obliged  to  march  all  day  to-morrow." 

"  Where  is  my  barge,  Kit  ?  "  asked  the  anxious 
father. 

"  In  the  bushes  down  the  river." 

"  We  can  carry  it  across  the  land  to  the  Crooked 
River,  and  go  down  in  that  way.  I  am  very  anx 
ious  to  join  my  wife,  who  is  still  suffering  with 
anxiety  fur  our  child,"  added  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  Very  well ;  if  you  feel  safe  to  leave  the  camp, 
I  shall  not  object,"  continued  the  lieutenant.  "  My 
men  shall  carry  your  boat  over  to  the  river." 

"  Phil  will  go  with  me,  and  I  don't  think  there  is 
any  danger." 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  go,  for  I  wish  to 
send  some  orders  to  Lieutenant  Jackson,  com 
manding  the  men  at  the  clearing." 

"  Exactly,  cap'n,"  interposed  Kit.  "  Send  word 
for  'em  to  form  a  line  atween  the  Little  Fish  and 
the  pond.  Phil  kin  show  'em  whar  it  is." 


168  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

Four  men  were  sent  to  carry  the  barge  across 
the  country  to  Crooked  River,  and  Kit  explained 
to  the  officer  the  nature  of  the  region  where  he 
suggested  that  the  line  of  defence  should  be  es 
tablished.  By  the  light  of  a  match,  the  lieutenant 
wrote  an  order,  which  he  gave  to  me,  to  be  deliv 
ered  to  the  officer  in  command  of  the  detachment 
at  the  Castle.  Bidding  the  lieutenant  good  night, 
we  started  for  the  river,  attended  by  Kit,  who 
was  determined  to  see  us  safely  embarked. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  too  tired  to  walk,  Ella," 
said  I,  placing  myself  at  her  side. 

"  I  am  very  tired,  and  I  hope  the  distance  is  not 
long." 

"  Not  less  than  two  miles,"  I  replied. 

"  I  will  try  to  do  it,"  said  she,  with  all  the  cour 
age  she  could  muster. 

After  going  half  the  distance,  we  met  the  men 
who  were  carrying  the  boat.  They  had  laid  it  on 
a  couple  of  poles,  and  were  bearing  it  on  their 
shoulders.  By  this  time  poor  Ella  was  almost 
fainting  with  exhaustion. 

"  We  kin  tote  the  gal  in  the  boat,"  said  Kit. 

u  She  cannot  sit  on  the  keel  of  it,"  replied  Mr. 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  169 

Gracewood ;  for  the  soldiers  bad  placed  it  bottom 
upwards  on  the  sticks. 

"  We  kin  turn  it  t'other  side  up,"  added  Kit. 
"  Drop  that  boat,  sogers." 

The  men,  who  were  full  of  sympathy  for  Ella, 
laid  the  boat  upon  the  ground.  Kit  turned  it 
over,  and  with  the  painter  and  another  line,  slung 
it  to  the  poles  right  side  up.  Ella  seated  herself 
in  the  barge,  and  the  soldiers  lifted  it  up,  placing 
the  poles  upon  their  shoulders.  The  march  was 
resumed,  and  occasionally  Kit  and  Mr.  Gracewood 
relieved  the  men,  so  that  it  was  not  very  hard 
work.  We  reached  the  river,  and  embarked. 

"  Take  care  of  yourself.  There'll  be  a  big  fight 
to-morrer,  and  the  Injuns  '11  git  squeezed." 

11  I  will  endeavor  to  take  care  of  myself,"  I 
replied,  as  we  pushed  off. 

Mr.  Gracewood  took  the  oars,  and  I  was  per 
mitted  to  rest  myself,  after  the  severe  fatigue  and 
excitement  of  the  day. 

'•  Is  there  any  danger  now,  father  ?  "  asked  Ella. 

"  No,  child,  I  don't  think  there  is/'  replied  Mr. 
Gracewood. 

'•'  Do  you  think  there  is,  Phil  ? "  she  added, 
appealing  to  me. 


170  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  No ;  but  I  should  like  to  know  where  those 
two  dugouts  are." 

"  According  to  your  story,  one  of  them  has  gone 
adrift,  and  the  other  is  up  this  river,"  said  Mi\ 
Gracewood.  "  Is  your  rifle  in  order,  Phil  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  Phil ;  and  I  think 
we  shall  be  all  right." 

And  we  were  all  right  till  we  reached  a  point 
near  the  mouth  of  Fish  River,  where  I  discovered 
a  dugout  moving  out  into  the  Missouri,  and  con 
taining  three  men. 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  171 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

IN   WHICH   PHIL   ARRIVES   AT   THE   CASTLE. 

MR.  GRACEWOOD  was  not  rowing  at  the 
time  I  discovered  the  dugout,  for  the  swift 
current  of  the  Missouri  gave  us  sufficient  head 
way,  and  the  oars  were  only  used  to  keep  the 
boat  from  whirling.  Poor  Ella,  worn  out  by  the 
fatigues  and  perils  of  the  day,  had  dropped 
asleep,  her  head  resting  upon  my  shoulder.  I 
only  raised  my  hand,  and  pointed  out  the  posi 
tion  of  the  dugout.  Mr.  Gracewood  understood 
me,  and  looked  in  the  direction  indicated. 

The  three  Indians  in  the  boat  were  doubtless 
the  ones  who  had  visited  the  island  in  the  morn 
ing.  I  concluded  that  they  had  found  the  dug 
out  in  which  I  had  shot  the  savage,  and  which 
had  probably  grounded  somewhere  in  the  shallow 
water.  But  the  Indians  were  not  coming  towards 
us,  and  I  judged  from  their  movements  that  they 


172  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

did  not  see  us.  The  dugout  came  into  the  great 
river,  and  then  headed  down  the  stream. 

"  Don't  move,"  I  whispered  to  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  But  the  current  is  carrying  us  upon  them/' 
he  replied,  his  anxiety  apparent  in  his  tones. 

"  If  you  can  work  her  farther  in  shore  with 
out  making  any  noise,  do  so,"  I  added. 

In  paddling  the  dugout  the  Indians  all  faced 
ahead,  instead  of  astern  as  in  rowing.  We  were 
under  the  shadow  of  the  high  bank  of  the  river, 
which  was  covered  with  wood.  Mr.  Gracewood 
carefully  worked  the  barge  nearer  to  the  bank, 
until  1  was  able  to  grasp  the  branch  of  a  tree 
which  had  fallen  down  as  the  earth  caved  off 
beneath  its  roots.  I  held  it  there,  and  in  a 
moment  more  the  dugout  disappeared  in  the 
gloom. 

"  They  are  not  looking  for  us,"  said  Mr.  Grace- 
wood. 

"  No ;  but  they  have  not  come  down  here  for 
nothing,"  I  replied. 

u  What  do  you  think  they  intend  to  do  ? " 

"  They  fired  at  us  as  we  were  coming  down 
the  river.  Possibly  they  followed  us,  and  saw 
us  go  up  the  Big  Fish.  Perhaps  they  think  now 


THE   FORTUNES    OP    A    FARMER.  173 

that  there  is  no  one  at  the  Castle,  and  they  can 
plunder  it  without  opposition.  They  will  soon 
discover  their  blunder." 

"  But  Mrs.  Gracewood  is  there." 

"  So  are  the   soldiers." 

"  They  may  capture  her  if  she  is  in  the  Castle, 
while  the  soldiers  are  encamped  in  the  rear,  not 
expecting  an  enemy  on  the  river  side." 

"  We  need  not  stay  here  any  longer,"  1  added, 
letting  go  the  branch,  and  permitting  the  current 
to  carry  the  barge  down  the  stream.  "  Don't 
make  any  noise  with  the  oars,  Mr.  Gracewood." 

"'  We  must  hurry  forward  and  alarm  the  sol 
diers.  They  have  no  suspicion  that  there  are 
any  Indians  within  many  miles  of  them." 

"  What's  the  matter,  father  ?  "  cried  Ella,  wak 
ing  with  a  start. 

"  Hush  !  Ella.  Don't  make  any  noise.  We  are 
safe,  and  there  is  no  danger." 

"  What  has  happened  ?  "  she  whispered,  trem 
bling  with  fear. 

"  Nothing  has  happened ;  but  we  saw  three 
Indians  go  down  the  river.  They  did  not  dis 
cover  us,  and  there  is  nothing  to  fear.  Don't  be 
alarmed." 


174  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

The  barge  floated  down  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Fish,  and  Mr.  Gracewood,  using  the  oars  very 
carefully,  guided  it  to  the  landing,  where  we  went 
on  shore.  I  hastened  up  the  rising  ground  to  as 
certain  if  there  was  any  demonstration  against 
the  Castle.  On  the  way,  I  heard  old  Firefly 
neigh ;  and  then  I  remembered  that  I  had  left 
him  there  when  I  started  to  follow  the  Indians. 
The  old  fellow  was  very  glad  to  see  me,  for  he 
probably  did  not  like  to  be  excluded  from  his 
warm  stable,  and  robbed  of  his  supper. 

I  jumped  upon  his  back,  and  rode  down  to  the 
landing,  where  Mr.  Gracewood  was  hauling  up 
his  boat.  My  appearance  on  horseback  startled 
him  and  Ella,  but  the  sound  of  my  voice  reas 
sured  them.  I  explained  in  what  manner  I  hap 
pened  to  be  mounted  so  speedily. 

"  I  will  ride  up  to  the  Castle,  and  see  that  the 
soldiers  are  on  the  lookout  for  those  Indians,"  I 
added.  "  I  will  return  with  the  wagon  in  a  few 
minutes,  and  carry  you  to  the  house." 

"  And  leave  us  here  alone  ? "  said  Mr.  Grace 
wood. 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  danger?"  I  in 
quired. 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  175 

"  Those    Indians   may  land  here    and    discover 
us.      For  myself  I  don't  care ;   but  I  am  afraid 
on  account  of  Ella,  who  is  too  weak  to  run,  how 
ever  great  the  peril." 

"  I  will  take  her  on  the  horse  with  me  if  you 
like,"  I  suggested. 

"  But  you  may  meet  the  savages,  and  a  bullet 
from  the  cunning  foe  might  destroy  all  my  hopes 
in  this  world." 

"  I  will  not  leave  you,  then,  sir ;  but  I  thought 
Ella  was  too  feeble  to  walk  another  mile." 

"  I  could  not  walk  a  mile,"  added  she,  faintly. 

"What  shall  we  do,  then?"   I  asked. 

"  We  will  go  a  little  way  with  you." 

Ella  had  sat  so  long  in  the  barge  that  her 
limbs  were  stiff,  and  she  was  unable  to  walk, 
even  a  short  distance.  Her  father  had  lifted 
her  out  of  the  boat,  and  seated  her  on  a  log. 

"  I  could  do  nothing  if  the  Indians  came  upon 
me,  with  my  child  in  this  helpless  condition.  I 
will  carry  her  in  my  arms  a  little  way,  and  we 
will  conceal  ourselves  in  the  bushes.  Go  as 
quick  as  you  can,  Phil  Farringford,"  said  the 
anxious  father. 


176  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  I  will  not  be  absent  long,"  I  replied,  as  I 
urged  Firefly  forward. 

The  horse  was  anxious  to  reach  his  stable, 
and  he  galloped  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  I 
kept  a  wary  lookout  for  the  savages,  as  I  ap 
proached  the  Castle,  but  I  saw  none. 

"  Halt !  "  shouted  a  sentinel,  placing  himself  in 
the  road. 

This  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  troops  assured 
me  the  Castle  was  in  no  danger  of  a  surprise,  and 
I  reined  in  my  steed. 

"  Who  goes  there?  ''  demanded  the  guard. 

"  Friend,  in  a  tremendous  hurry,"  I  replied. 

"  Advance,  friend  in  a  tremendous  hurry,  and 
give  the  countersign." 

"  I  have  no  countersign  ;  but  I  am  Phil  Farring- 
ford." 

"  0,  the  young  fellow  that  belongs  here  ! " 

"  Yes ;  and  by  this  time  there  are  three  In 
dians  in  a  dugout  in  front  of  you.  Stir  up  your 
men,  and  send  two  or  three  of  them  down  towards 
the  landing.  Mr.  Gracewood  and  his  daughter 
are  there,  and  the  Indians  may  find  them." 

"  Has  the  girl  been  found  ?  " 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        177 

"  Yes  ;  but  I  can't  stop  to  talk.  Wake  up  your 
officer." 

I  hurried  Firefly  to  the  barn,  and  dismounted. 

"  Who  is  it  ?  What  has  happened  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Gracewood,  in  trembling  tones,  as  she  carne  to 
wards  the  stable. 

"It's  only  Phil,"  I  replied.  "All  right,  Mrs. 
Gracewood." 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?  I  was  afraid  the  In 
dians  had  caught  you." 

"I  have  been  after  Ella." 

"0,  have  you  heard  anything  from  her?"  de 
manded  she,  choking  with  emotion. 

"  Yes,  we  have  heard  from  her.  She's  all  right," 
I  answered,  as  I  threw  the  harness  upon  Firefly. 

"  What  do  you  mean?     Don't  deceive  me,  Phil." 

"  1  won't,  Mrs.  Gracewood.  You  shall  see  her 
yourself  in  ten  minutes." 

"  Where  is  she  ? "  gasped  the  poor  mother, 
apparently  unable  to  believe  the  good  news. 

"She  is  down  at  the  landing;  but  she  is  all 
worn  out,  and  not  able  to  move  a  step.  I  am 
going  down  with  the  wagon  after  her." 

"Do  you  really  mean  so?" 
12 


178  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"Certainly  I  do,  Mrs.  Grace  wood;  and  her 
father  is  with  her." 

"  Father  in  heaven,  I  thank  thee ! "  exclaimed 
she,  fervently,  sobbing  and  weeping. 

"  It's  just  as  I  tell  you ;  but  you  had  better  go 
into  the  house,  for  there  are  some  Indians  along 
the  river  somewhere." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  them,  if  I  can  only  see 
Ella." 

By  this  time,  the  sentinel  who  had  confronted 
me  had  passed  the  word  to  the  camp,  and  the 
soldiers  were  all  under  arms.  A  squad  of  them 
hastened  to  the  river,  and  presently  I  heard  a 
couple  of  shots  in  that  direction.  I  had  finished 
harnessing  the  horses,  and  was  putting  old  Matt's 
bed  upon  the  wagon  ibr  Ella  to  lie  upon,  when 
Lieutenant  Jackson,  the  officer  in  command  of 
the  detachment,  rushed  up  to  me. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  he  demanded.  "Are 
we  attacked  ?  " 

"  There  are  three  Indians  on  the  river.  I  sup 
pose  your  men  are  firing  at  them.  Here  is  an 
order  from  Lieutenant  Pope,"  I  added,  handing 
him  the  paper,  and  jumping  upon  the  wagon, 
where  Mrs.  Gracewood  had  already  placed  her- 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  179 

self.  "  We  have  recovered  the  young  lady,  and 
I  am  going  down  to  the  landing  after  her." 

"But  I  wish  to  know  —  " 

"Well,  I  can't  stop  now  to  talk,  sir." 

"  I  will  go  with  you ;  "  and  he  leaped  upon  the 
wagon. 

"  I  advise  you  to  take  two  or  three  more  with 
you.  You  may  capture  the  three  Indians  your 
men  are  firing  at  now." 

He  called  three  of  his  men,  who  joined  us  in  the 
wagon,  and  I  drove  off  as  fast  as  I  could  make  the 
horses  go. 

"  Where  did  you  sec  Lieutenant  Pope  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Jackson. 

"  At  his  camp  on  the  Big  Fish.  You  must 
keep  those  three  Indians  from  going  up  the  Fish 
River  if  you  can." 

"Why  so?" 

But  the  violent  jolting  of  the  wagon  prevented 
me  from  talking,  and  him  from  hearing;  sol  de 
ferred  my  explanation  till  a  more  convenient  sea 
son.  In  a  few  minutes,  I  stopped  the  horses  a 
short  distance  from  the  landing,  when  Mr.  Grace- 
wood  hailed  me  from  a  clump  of  bushes.  I  felt 
relieved  when  I  saw  that  Ella  and  he  were  safe. 


180  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

I  helped  the  trembling  mother  out  of  the  wagon, 
and  conducted  her  to  the  spot. 

"  My  child  !  0,  Ella  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Gracewood,  as 
she  bent  over  the  form  of  her  daughter. 

"  I  am  safe,  mother,"  she  replied,  faintly. 

They  sobbed  and  wept  in  each  other's  arms  till 
Mr.  Gracewood  interposed,  and  then  we  placed 
the  sufferer  on  the  bed  in  the  wagon. 

"  Now,  lieutenant,  if  you  will  let  one  of  your 
men  drive  the  horses  up  to  the  Castle,  I  will  tell 
how  the  land  lies  here,"  said  I,  when  the  party 
was  ready  to  start. 

Mr.  Jackson  ordered  one  of  the  soldiers  to  go 
with  the  wagon,  and  return  with  it;  but  Mr. 
Gracewood  preferred  to  drive  himself  while  Ella 
was  a  passenger.  As  the  team  started,  I  walked 
with  the  officer  and  two  soldiers  down  to  the  land 
ing.  I  imparted  all  the  information  I  had  obtained, 
including  the  movements  of  the  Indians  who  had 
captured  Ella. 

"  You  are  a  plucky  little  fellow  to  stand  up  and 
shoot  down  an  Indian ;  but  I  think  you  would 
have  done  better  if  you  had  called  me,  instead 
of  following  the  Indians  yourself,"  said  Lieuten 
ant  Jackson. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        181 

"  I  don't  think  so.  We  might  have  gone  a 
dozen  miles  before  we  found  them,  if  I  had  lost 
sight  of  them.  The  three  Indians  went  down  the 
river  just  as  we  came  in  sight.  1  heard  your  men 
fire  at  them.  Now  you  must  not  let  them  go  up 
the  Fish,  for  they  will  carry  information  to  the 
large  party  up  that  river,  and  spoil  the  plan  of 
Lieutenant  Pope." 

"  You  are  right,  my  boy,"  replied  the  officer,  as 
he  posted  his  two  men  where  they  could  see  the 
dugout  as  it  approached. 

"  You  Avill  have  a  big  fight  to-morrow/'  I  added. 

"  I  should  think  so  from  what  you  say  ;  but  I 
haven't  read  my  orders  yet." 

"  Hark ! " 

I  heard  the  splashing  of  paddles  in  the  river  be 
low  us,  and  1  concluded  that  the  three  Indians 
who  had  failed  in  front  of  the  Castle  were  return 
ing  to  Fish  River. 


182  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OE 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

IN  WHICH   PHIL   CONDUCTS   THE   SOLDIERS   TO   THE 
LINE   OF    DEFENCE. 

I  HAD  a  theory  of  my  own  in  regard  to  the 
movements  of  the  four  Indians  who  had 
come  down  the  Crooked  River  in  the  two  dug 
outs.  The  savages  were  incensed  against  us 
because  they  had  failed  to  obtain  our  horses, 
and  because  we  had  shot  two  or  three  of  their 
men  in  the  skirmishes  which  followed.  This 
party  had  gone  home  and  stirred  up  the  In 
dians,  who  were  now  upon  the  war-path.  Mr. 
Gracewood  had  identified  himself  with  the  de 
fence  of  the  Castle,  and  they  had  visited  his 
island  to  wreak  their  vengeance  upon  him,  and 
obtain  his  property. 

If  he  was  at  home,  they  would  kill  him ;  if 
not,  they  would  appropriate  or  destroy  his  prop 
erty.  Having  disposed  of  him,  if  he  were  there, 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        183 

the  four  Indians  were  to  go  down  the  river  to 
the  front  of  the  Castle,  and  when  the  main  body 
appeared  in  the  forest,  make  an  attack  on  the 
river  side,  or  steal  upon  us  in  the  night,  and 
murder  us  in  our  sleep.  At  any  rate,  these  In 
dians  knew  that  a  large  force  of  their  own  peo 
ple  were  coming  down  the  Fish,  and  they  were 
in  some  manner  to  assist  them. 

Lieutenant  Jackson  and  myself  went  to  the  bank 
of  the  river,  and  soon  saw  the  dugout,  two  of  the 
Indians  in  it  paddling  with  all  their  might.  They 
had  discovered  their  blunder,  in  part  at  least, 
Avhen  the  soldiers  opened  upon  them.  The  fact  that 
any  one  was  awake  at  the  Castle  was  enough  to 
turn  them  from  their  purpose,  for  they  had  not  the 
courage  to  stand  up  before  the  rifle  of  Kit  Crunch 
er,  whom  they  doubtless  supposed  to  be  there. 

"  Give  them  a  shot,  Morgan,"  said  the  lieutenant 
to  one  of  his  men. 

The  soldier  fired,  but  without  effect,  except  to 
alarm  the  Indians. 

"  Why  didn't  you  hit  them  ?  "  added  the  officer, 
as  the  savages  turned  the  dugout  from  the  shore, 
and  paddled  with  renewed  zeal  towards  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  great  river. 


184  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  So  I  would  if  they  would  hold  still  long  enough 
for  me  to  cover  them/'  replied  the  soldier. 

The  other  man  fired,  but  with  no  better  success, 
so  far  as  we  could  discover.  Before  they  could 
reload  their  pieces,  the  dugout  was  too  far  off  to 
warrant  the  wasting  of  any  more  powder  and  lead. 

"  You  will  not  see  them  again  to-night,"  said 
I,  as  the  Indians  disappeared  in  the  gloom. 

"  Can  they  get  to  the  rear  of  our  position  by  any 
other  way  than  up  this  river? "asked  Lieutenant 
Jackson. 

"  Yes,  sir,  they  can.  They  may  go  up  Bear 
River  to  the  lake,  and  cross  the  country  to  the 
Fish,"  I  replied.  "  But  there  are  rapids  between 
the  lake  and  the  Missouri,  and  they  would  have  to 
carry  their  boat  half  a  mile." 

"  Then  I  must  put  a  guard  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Bear." 

"  It  will  be  the  safest  way,"  I  added,  as  the  sol 
dier  returned  with  my  team. 

We  drove  back  to  the  Castle,  and  I  put  up  the 
horses.  The  lieutenant  sent  a  corporal  and  two 
men  to  the  mouth  of  Bear  River,  two  miles  below 
the  Castle ;  and  I  was  satisfied  that  the  three  In 
dians  could  not  possibly  join  the  band  which  was 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        185 

moving  down  the  Fish.  We  went  into  the  house 
together,  where  a  cheerful  fire  of  pitch  wood  was 
blazing  on  the  hearth.  Poor  Ella  had  dropped 
asleep,  and  her  father  and  mother  sat  by  her  bed 
side  watching  her  heaving  chest.  They  were  very 
anxious  about  her,  though  Mr.  Gracewood  declared 
that  she  suffered  only  from  exhaustion,  and  that 
rest  would  restore  her. 

The  lieutenant  read  the  order  I  had  brought  to 
him,  and  we  left  the  Castle,  so  as  not  to  disturb 
Ella.  By  this  time  I  was  willing  to  believe  I  was 
tired  myself.  I  thought  it  must  be  nearly  daylight, 
and  was  surprised  when  the  officer  told  me  it  was 
only  twelve  o'clock.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  had 
lived  a  whole  year  since  sundown.  I  was  invited 
to  sleep  in  the  lieutenant's  tent,  and  I  did  sleep 
there  in  good  earnest  till  long  after  sunrise  the 
next  morning,  when  a  soldier  called  me. 

'•  We  are  about  ready  to  start,  Phil,"  said  Mr. 
Jackson.  "  My  orders  say  you  are  to  be  my 
guide." 

"  I  must  take  care  of  my  horses  and  pigs,  and 
eat  my  breakfast." 

"My  men  have  fed  your  horses,  and  cleaned  them. 


186  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

I  thought  you  would  be  very  tired,  and  1  had  your 
work  done  for  you,"  said  the  lieutenant. 

"I  was  tired  —  that's  a  fact;  but  I  am  as  good 
as  new  now." 

"  Mr.  Gracewood  says  your  breakfast  is  all 
ready." 

"How  is  Ella?"  I  asked. 

"  She  is  better,  but  still  very  weak." 

"Is  she  sick?" 

"  No,  they  say  not ;  only  worn  out." 

I  went  to  the  Castle,  and  was  at  once  greeted 
with  an  outpouring  of  thanks  from  father,  mother, 
and  daughter  for  what  I  had  done  the  night  before. 
Ella,  as  the  officer  had  said,  was  suffering  only  from 
stiff  limbs  and  over-fatigue.  Mr.  Gracewood  had 
cooked  our  breakfast,  and  we  all  sat  down  to  the 
table.  It  was  a  happy  family  which  gathered 
around  the  board,  and  the  father  said  a  prayer  of 
thanksgiving  for  the  mercy  of  God  in  sparing  our 
lives  during  the  perils  of  the  preceding  day  and 
night ;  and  it  was  a  prayer  in  which  we  all  joined, 
in  mind  and  heart. 

The  scene  was  a  novel  one  to  me.  It  was  the 
first  time  in  my  life  that  I  had  ever  sat  at  ta 
ble  with  women  —  the  first  family  I  had  ever  seen 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        187 


together.  I  had  read  of  such  things,  and  my 
teacher  had  told  me  all  about  the  customs  of  civil 
ized  life.  I  thought  that  every  family,  as  father, 
mother,  and  children  gathered  together  at  ta 
ble,  or  in  the  evening,  ought  to  be  very  happy. 
Still  I  knew  it  was  not  so,  for  even  the  reunited 
husband  and  wife  before  me  had  quarrelled  and 
separated.  People  do  not  understand  and  appre 
ciate  their  greatest  blessings,  because  they  are  so 
common  ;  but  I,  who  had  never  known  a  mother's 
care,  —  at  least  not  since  my  infancy,  —  could  re 
alize  what  a  joy  it  was  to  have  a  father  and  mother, 
and  to  be  with  them  every  day.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  I  could  never  disregard  the  slightest  wish  of 
father  or  mother,  if  1  had  them. 

I  ate  a  hearty  breakfast,  for  even  the  pretty  sen 
timent  which  was  flitting  through  my  mind  could 
not  impair  my  appetite.  When  I  went  out  I  found 
that  the  lieutenant  had  drawn  up  his  force  in  the 
field,  struck  his  tents,  and  loaded  his  baggage  upon 
my  wagon.  Firefly  and  Cracker  were  harnessed, 
and  I  had  only  to  take  my  seat  on  the  load.  The 
soldiers  had  repaired  the  bridge  over  the  brook, 
and  everything  was  ready  for  a  start. 


188  FIELD    AND   FOKEST,    OR 

*  "  Of  course  you  leave  a  guard  here,  lieutenant," 
I  said,  as  I  took  my  place  on  the  wagon. 

11 1  have  detailed  a  corporal  and  three  men  to 
take  care  of  the  Castle,"  replied  Mr.  Jackson.  "  Do 
you  think  that  is  force  enough  ?  " 

"  Plenty,  sir,  if  they  keep  their  eyes  wide  open," 
I  replied.  "  They  have  only  to  guard  the  approach 
on  the  water  side." 

"All  right.  Attention  —  company!  Shoulder 
arms!  Right  shoulder — shift!  Forward — march!" 

The  soldiers  marched  ahead,  and  I  followed  with 
the  wagon.  It  was  about  two  miles  to  the  point 
between  the  lake  and  the  Little  Fish,  where  the 
detachment  was  to  he  posted,  and  in  less  than  an 
hour  we  arrived  at  our  destination.  We  halted,  and 
a  sergeant  and  three  men  were  sent  forward  to 
scout  the  woods,  and  give  the  troops  early  intima 
tion  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  The  rest  of  the 
force  was  immediately  set  at  work  in  the  erection 
of  two  breastworks  —  one  near  the  river,  and 
the  other  between  Kit's  Brook  and  the  lake.  The 
first  commanded  the  road  on  the  Little  Fish,  and 
the  other  the  brook  path. 

"Don't    your    soldiers   have   any   cannons?"   I 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  189 

asked,  after  the  lieutenant  had  set  the  men  at 
work. 

"We  have  some  mountain  howitzers  at  the  fort; 
but  field-pieces  are  not  available  for  this  bush 
whacking  service,"  replied  Mr.  Jackson.  "  I  wish 
we  had  a  couple  of  howitzers  here." 

"  Mr.  Gracewood  has  what  he  calls  a  twelve- 
pounder." 

"  Indeed  !     Is  it  mounted  ?  " 

"  It's  on  wheels,  if  that  is  what  you  mean." 

"  Do  you  know  whether  he  has  any  ammunition 
for  it?"  asked  the  officer,  evidently  much  inter 
ested  in  the  information  I  had  given  him. 

"•  He  has  plenty  of  powder,  and  some  tin  cans — " 

"  Canister  shot :  just  the  thing  for  us,"  inter 
posed  the  officer.  "  Is  it  possible  to  have  this  gun 
brought  doAvn  here  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  why  it  isn't." 

"  It  would  be  as  good  as  twenty  men  to  us  in 
these  breastworks.  Couldn't  you  take  a  couple  of 
my  men,  and  go  after  it?  " 

"  Of  course  I  could,  and  I  will." 

"  You  will  do  us  a  great  service,  for  I  may  have 
to  fight  four  times  my  own  force." 

Two  men  were  selected  to  go  with  me  to  the 


190  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

island,  and  taking  them  upon  the  wagon,  I  drove 
back  to  the  Castle.  Mr.  Gracewood  readily  gave 
me  permission  to  bring  off  the  gun,  but  he  wanted 
to  know  how  I  expected  to  bring  it  over. 

"  In  the  boat,"  I  replied. 

"  Do  you  mean  my  barge  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  How  much  do  you  think  it  weighs  ?  "  he  asked, 
with  a  smile. 

"  I  don't  know  —  perhaps  a  hundred  weight,"  I 
answered,  comparing  it  with  a  barrel  of  flour, 
which  was  my  standard. 

"  Not  less  than  six  hundred,"  said  he.  "  The 
barge  will  not  carry  it  with  three  of  you  besides ; 
and  if  it  would,  you  could  not  load  it." 

I  can  get  it  over,  I  know,"  I  replied,  confidently, 
and  rather  pleased  to  have  a  difficult  problem  to 
solve. 

"  Very  well.  The  ammunition  is  in  the  blue  box  ; 
and  that  will  be  a  good  load  for  the  barge." 

"  I  will  agree  to  get  them  both  over  here,"  I 
replied  ;  and,  jumping  upon  the  wagon,  I  drove 
down  to  the  landing. 

While  I  was  securing  the  horses,  the  two  sol 
diers  put  the  barge  into  the  water.  I  was  think- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        191 

ing  all  the  time  of  the  problem  of  transporting  the 
gun  and  ammunition.  I  was  quite  sure  that  I 
could  do  the  job,  and  I  had  my  plan  ready.  I  took 
a  couple  of  axes  from  the  shanty  at  the  landing, 
and  we  embarked.  One  of  the  soldiers  rowed  the 
boat. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  axes, 
Phil  ? "  asked  the  soldier  who  was  seated  in  the 
bow. 

"I  thought  we  might  want  them,  and  so  I  brought 
them  along,"  I  replied,  not  caring  to  discuss  my 
plan  with  him. 

"  How  big  is  the  gun  we  are  to  bring?  " 

"  Mr.  Gracewood  says  it  weighs  about  six  hun 
dred." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  bring  a  gun  weighing  six 
hundred  in  this  little  boat  ?  " 

«  We'll  sec,"  I  replied. 

"  We  are  on  a  fool's  errand." 

"  You  wait  and  see." 

<;  I  think  you  are  smart,  Phil,  after  what  you  did 
last  night;  but  you  might  as  well  try  to  drink  up 
the  Missouri  as  to  bring  that  gun  in  this  boat," 
persisted  the  soldier. 

"  Let  Phil  alone,"  said  Morgan,  the  oarsman,  who 


I    *  '  fcj  i1  J.  lj  AJ  I-/        JX  l.HJ-'        J.'  W  .III iUO -L  , 

seemed  to  have  more  confidence  in  my  ability  than 
his  companion. 

We  landed  at  the  south  end  of  Paradise  Island, 
because  there  were  no  bluffs  to  interfere  with  our 
operations.  Securing  the  boat,  we  walked  up  the 
hill  to  the  house.  I  was  still  thinking  of  the  plan 
by  which  the  gun  was  to  be  transported  to  the 
main  shore,  when  I  was  startled  by  the  crack  of  a 
rifle  from  the  direction  of  the  house. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        193 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

IN    WHICH    PHIL    FIGHTS    THE    INDIANS    ON    THE 
ISLAND. 


ET  holiind  the  trees  !  "  I  called  to  my  com- 
pan  ions,  as  1  promptly  adopted  the  tactics 
of  Kit  Cruncher  ;  for  in  fighting  Indians  discre 
tion  is  eminently  the  better  part  of  valor. 

"  Was  any  one  hit  ?  "  asked  Morgan,  the  man 
nearest  to  me,  as  he  dodged  behind  a  cotton-wood 
tree. 

"  I  am  not/'  I  replied. 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Plunkett,  the  other  soldier  ;  "  but 
that  ball  came  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  my 
right  ear." 

"  Who  fired  that  shot  ?  "  asked  Morgan.  "  I 
didn't  see  anybody." 

"  The  Indians  are  here,"  I  replied. 

"  Then  we  had  better  take  ourselves  off  as  quick 
as  possible,"  suggested  Plunkett. 
13 


194  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

"  Not  without  the  gun,"  I  continued. 
three  Indians  you  fired  at  on  the  river  last  night 
have  come  over  here.  You  don't  mean  to  run 
away  from  three  Indians  —  do  you  ?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  don't  like  the  situation,"  said 
Plunkett, 

The  cotton-wood  trees  were  large  enough  to 
furnish  us  ample  shelter,  and  we  Availed  a  reason 
able  time,  Avith  our  guns  pointed,  for  the  savages 
to  shoAv  themselves ;  but  they  Avere  no  more  dis 
posed  to  do  so  than  Ave  Avere.  It  looked  like  a 
sloAv  and  lazy  fight,  arid  I  Avas  afraid  the  main 
bocjy  of  the  redskins  Avould  attack  the  lieutenant 
before  AVO  could  reach  him  Avith  the  gun. 

"'  What  shall  Ave  do  ?  We  don't  want  to  stay 
here  all  day,"  said  Morgan. 

"  It  is  just  as  dangerous  to  go  back  as  it  is  to 
go  forward,"  I  replied. 

"  Forward  it  is,  then,"  added  Morgan.  "  I  don't 
want  to  be  shot  in  the  back,  if  I  am  to  be  shot 
at  all." 

As  my  companion  did  not  suggest  a  plan  of 
operations,  unless  the  proposition  of  Plunkett  to 
run  away  may  be  regarded  as  such,  I  endeavored 
to  solve  the  problem  myself.  The  formation  of 


THE   FORTUNES    OP   A    FARMER.  195 

the  island,  like  many  others  in  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri,  was  peculiar.  Its  surface  was  a  gradual 
slope  from  the  point  where  we  had  landed  to  the 
up-river  end,  which  was  a  bluff  of  considerable 
height.  On  the  most  elevated  portion  grew  the 
tallest  of  the  trees,  which  gradually  diminished  in 
size,  till  at  the  lower  end  they  were  mere  bushes. 
The  current  of  the  river  beating  against  the  up 
per  end  washed  away  the  earth,  and  carried  the 
soil  to  the  lower  end,  leaving  an  annual  deposit 
there. 

From  the  high  ground  the  water  had  gullied  for 
its  passage  a  channel  to  the  lower  end.  As  the 
descent  was  considerable,  it  was  dry  except  dur 
ing  heavy  rains.  This  gully  in  the  part  of  the 
island  where  Ave  had  halted  was  about  four  feet 
deep.  Farther  up  and  lower  down  it  was  Jess 
than  this.  In  leading  the  way  up  to  Mr.  Grace- 
wood's  house,  I  had  followed  this  channel,  and 
when  we  stopped,  1  had  taken  shelter  behind  a 
tree  on  the  side  of  it,  whose  roots  reached  into  it. 
The  Indians  were  some  distance  from  the  gully, 
which  led,  in  a  sinuous  course,  within  a  few  rods 
of  the  house. 

"  I  am  going  to  do  something,"  said  I,  when  I 


196  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

had  arranged  a  plan  to  take  advantage  of  the  shel 
ter  the  gully  would  afford  me.  "  I  will  follow  this 
channel  up  till  I  can  get  a  good  shot  at  the  In 
dians.  When  I  fire,  you  do  the  same." 

"  Don't  be  rash,  Phil,"  said  Morgan,  who  perhaps 
thought  he  ought  to  perform  the  perilous  work  of 
the  expedition ;  but  really  one  place  was  just  as 
safe  as  the  other. 

"  I  will  take  care  of  myself,"  1  replied.  "  Twen 
ty  rode  farther  up  the  gully  I  shall  be  in  position 
to  see  behind  the  trees  where  the  Indians  are.  I 
shall  bring  down  one  of  them  then." 

"  All  right,  Phil ;  but  the  Indians  will  see  you 
when  you  leap  into  the  gully,"  added  Morgan. 

"  I  shall  run  the  risk  of  that.  If  you  will  do  the 
same,  we  can  make  a  sure  thing  of  it." 

"  I  will,  for  one.  1  won't  have  a  boy  like  you 
get  ahead  of  me  ;  but  I  thought  you  wanted  us  to 
stay  here." 

"  One  of  you  stay  behind  the  tree,  and  the  other 
jump  into  the  ditch." 

"  All  right.     I'll  jump  in,"  said  Morgan. 

"  I  will  go  up  the  gully ;  you  go  down.  I  will 
go  without  noise ;  you  will  make  a  noise,  so  as  to 
make  the  Indians  think  we  have  both  gone  down 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.        197 

towards  the  place  where  we  landed.  Do  you  un 
derstand  me  ?  " 

"  Like  a  book." 

"  And,  Plunkett,  you  must  keep  both  eyes  wide 
open.  If  an  Indian  shows  his  head,  shoot  him.'7 

"  I'll  do  that." 

"  But  don't  show  your  own  head." 

"  I  won't  do  that." 

I  leaped  into  the  gully  as  soon  as  I  had  com 
pleted  my  preparations.  One  of  the  Indians  fired 
instantly.  Morgan  promptly  followed  me,  and  with 
out  drawing  the  fire  of  the  Indians.  I  crept  care 
fully  up  the  gully,  while  my  companion  took  the 
opposite  direction,  making  plenty  of  noise.  He 
had  gone  but  a  short  distance  before  the  discharge 
of  Plunkett's  musket  assured  me  the  ruse  had 
been  successful  so  far.  The  savages,  thinking  we 
were  escaping  to  the  water,  had  left  their  trees, 
and  shown  themselves  to  our  sentinel. 

I  hastened  on  my  winding  way  with  all  praeti- 
cable  speed,  careful  not  to  betray  my  presence. 
Every  step  brought  me  nearer  to  the  Indians,  and, 
as  I  crept  along,  I  occasionally  stole  a  glance  over 
the  brink  of  the  gully ;  but  as  yet  I  could  not  see 
the  foe.  I  continued  on  iny  way,  not  daring  to 


i>8  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

step  nn  a  stick  or  a  stone,  lest  the  noise  should 
reveal  my  presence,  until  I  had  reached  my  objec. 
tive  point.  A  cautious  glance  then  assured  me 
that  I  was  abreast  of  the  savages.  I  was  exactly 
at  their  right  hand,  and  not  ten  rods  from  them. 
I  could  distinctly  see  them,  with  their  rifles  ele 
vated  in  readiness  to  fire,  and  glancing  with  one 
eye,  from  behind  the  tree,  at  the  position  of 
Flunkett. 

The  three  positions  occupied  respectively  by 
Plunkett,  the  savages,  and  myself,  were  at  the 
three  angles  of  an  isosceles  triangle,  the  two  equal 
sides  of  which  were  about  twenty  rods,  while  the 
other  and  shortest  side  was  ten  rods,  the  latter 
being  between  the  Indians  and  myself.  They 
were  straining  their  eyes  to  take  advantage  of 
any  movement  where  Plunkett  stood. 

I  placed  my  ammunition  so  that  I  could  reload 
with  the  greatest  possible  haste  after  I  had  fired, 
and  then  prepared  to  make  the  shot  upon  which 
our  fate  in  a  great  measure  depended.  Indeed,  it 
was  necessary  to  do  something  to  end  my  own 
suspense  and  anxiety,  for  my  nerves  were  so 
strained  up  that  I  thought  they  would  crack. 
This  holding  of  one's  breath,  and  moving  in  abso- 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  199 

late  silence  on  penalty  of  death  for  failure,  is  a 
terrible  trial  to  a  boy,  whatever  it  may  be  to  a 
man  inured  to  peril  and  hardship. 

Having  completed  my  preparations;,  and  consid 
ered  where  and  how  I  should  retreat  in  case  of 
failure,  I  took  careful  aim  at  the  Indian  nearest  to 
me,  and  fired.  The  savage  uttered  a  howl,  and 
clapped  his  hand  upon  the  back  of  his  head.  I 
had  wounded  him,  but  evidently  had  not  disabled 
him.  I  loaded  my  rifle  again,  regarding  my  first 
shot  as  an  unfortunate  one.  I  could  hear  the 
enemy  talking  earnestly  together,  and  I  realized 
that  they  were  not  satisfied  with  the  situation. 
The  report  of  a  musket  below  assured  me  the  In 
dians  had  changed  their  position.  Another  shot 
from  our  side  told  me  that  Morgan  was  improving 
his  opportunities. 

These  bullets  from  the  front,  although  they  ap 
peared  not  to  have  done  any  harm,  compelled  the 
savages  to  resume  their  first  position,  which  again 
opened  them  to  my  fire.  I  aimed  a  second  time, 
and  fired  at  the  mark  as  before.  The  discharge 
was  followed  by  a  fearful  howl,  and  the  savage 
raised  his  hand  to  his  face.  He  was  not  killed, 
but  by  this  time  he  was  badly  demoralized.  He 


200  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

turned  his  head  to  see  where  the  ball  had  come 
from.  His  face  was  covered  with  blood. 

I  stooped  to  load  my  rifle  again.  While  doing 
so,  I  could  hear  the  savages  chattering  violently. 
They  had  evidently  discoverer!  the  insecurity  of 
their  position,  and  felt  that,  if  they  staid  there 
long  enough,  they  would  certainly  be  shot.  I  did 
not  deem  it  prudent  to  remain  where  I  wras  any 
longer,  lest  the  enemy  should  take  it  into  their 
heads  to  charge  upon  the  gully.  I  retreated  a 
few  rods  towards  the  house.  While  I  was  doing 
so,  the  reports  of  the  two  muskets  of  the  soldiers 
assured  me  the  Indians  were  making  a  movement. 
I  raised  my  head,  and  sa\v  that  they  were  running 
with  all  speed  towards  the  north  side  of  the  island, 
where  they  had  landed  the  preceding  day. 

Morgan  and  Plunkett  had  come  out  of  their 
hiding-places,  and  were  already  in  hot  pursuit. 
I  followed  their  example,  and  being  nearer  the 
enemy  than  they,  I  fired.  This  time  an  Indian 
dropped  ;  but  his  fall  did  not  delay  the  flight  of 
the  others.  I  paused  to  load,  and  presently  heard 
the  shots  of  both  the  soldiers.  They  also  halted 
to  load  again,  and  I  ran  ahead  of  them ;  but  the 
savages  were  more  fleet  of  foot  than  we,  and  gain- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        201 

ing  rapidly  upon  us,  reached  their  boat  without 
further  loss  or  damage. 

"  We  are  lucky,"  said  I,  as  we  gave  up  the 
chase,  and  gazed  at  the  dugout,  half  way  across 
the  river. 

"  That's  so.     Was  any  one  hit  ?  "  added  Morgan. 

"  No  ;  and  of  all  the  shots  we  have  fired,  we 
have  brought  down  but  one  Indian." 

"  If  we  had  been  as  near  as  you  were,  Phil, 
we  should  have  dropped  one  every  time,"  replied 
Plunkett.  "  However,  I  knocked  over  that  one 
that  fell." 

"  You  did  !  "   I  exclaimed. 

"  Why,  yes  ;  didn't  you  see  him  fall  ?  " 

"I  did;  but  he  fell  the  instant  I  fired,"  I  re 
plied. 

"  You  are  a  little  fast,  Phil.  You  haven't  hit 
anything  to-day,"  said  Plunkett. 

"  I  hit  every  time  I  fired." 

"  You  !     Nonsense  !  " 

"  1  fired  the  first  shot  after  the  Indians  started 
to  run.  and  this  one  dropped  before  you  had  fired 
at  all,"  I  persisted,  indignant  that  Plunkett,  who 
had  wished  to  run  away  in  the  beginning  should 


202  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

claim  to  have  done  all  the  execution  that  had  been 
accomplished. 

"Keep  cool,  Phil,"  laughed  Plunkett.  "That 
redskin  dropped  when  I  fired." 

"  We  will  settle  that  matter  another  time,"  I  an 
swered,  leading  the  way  towards  the  house. 

We  passed  the  Indian  who  had  fallen.  He  was 
not  dead,  and  I  saw  Plunkett  fixing  his  bayonet, 
evidently  with  the  intention  of  finishing  the  work 
I  had  begun.  I  protested,  and  so  did  Morgan, 
against  his  course.  The  savage  reclined  on  one 
side,  resting  upon  his  elbow.  He  had  torn  away 
his  blanket,  so  that  we  could  see  where  the  ball 
had  struck  him  in  the  hip. 

"  You  didn't  fire  that  ball,  Plunkett,"  said  Mor 
gan.  "  You  couldn't  have  hit  him  there  from  the 
place  where  you  fired." 

"  What's  the  reason  I  couldn't  ?  "  demanded  the 
braggart. 

•'  Because  the  Indian  was  running  ahead  of  you, 
and  you  couldn't  have  hit  him  on  the  side  of  the 
hip.  Phil  was  up  by  the  house,  and  his  shot  did 
it.  Half  his  nose  is  gone,  and  he  has  a  wound  on 
the  back  of  the  head." 

"  He   turned    round   when    I    fired ;  but   I   will 


THE    FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  203 

finish  him,"  said  Plimkett,  approaching  the  Indian 
with  his  bayonet  pointed  at  him. 

"  No  ! "  I  shouted,  earnestly.  "  It  is  murder." 
The  Indian,  who  had  watched  us  with  savage 
dignity,  apparently  regardless  of  the  pain  his  three 
wounds  must  have  given  him,  suddenly  grasped 
his  tomahawk,  and  raised  himself  as  far  as  his  in 
jured  hip  would  permit.  He  looked  ugly  and  de 
fiant,  and  Plunkett  paused. 


204  FIELD  AND   POEEST,  OB 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

IN  WHICH  PHIL  CONDUCTS  THE  RAPT  TO  THE  LANDING, 
AND   MORGAN   FIRES   THE   BIG  GUN. 

"  T~    ET  him  alone,  Plunkett,"  said  Morgan. 

JL^     "  He  will  throw  his  tomahawk  at  you,'7  I 
added. 

"  I  can  shoot  him,"  replied  the  coward,  retreating 
backwards  with  more  haste  than  dignity. 

"  If  you  do,  I'll  report  you  to  Lieutenant  Jack 
son,"  continued  Morgan. 

"  I  don't  believe  in  leaving  your  work  to  be  done 
over  again,"  growled  Plunkett.  "  What's  to  prevent 
this  Indian  from  killing  some  of  us,  when  he  gets 
a  chance  ?  " 

"  We  are  not  Indians,  and  we  don't  kill  the 
wounded,"  replied  Morgan.  "  Come  along  ;  we  are 
fooling  away  our  time." 

We  went  up  to  Mr.  Gracewood's  house,  and  en 
tered  it.  The  Indians  had  been  there  before  us.  la 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        205 

the  middle  of  the  floor  was  a  pile  of  goods,  which  they 
had  intended  to  carry  down  to  the  boat.  They  had 
done  no  injury  to  the  building,  though  they  would 
doubtless  have  burned  it  if  we  had  not  disturbed 
them.  The  gun  for  which  we  had  come  was  in  the 
rear  chamber,  limbered  up  and  ready  for  use.  The 
recluse  of  the  island  had  brought  it  as  a  weapon  of 
defence.  It  could  be  discharged  from  any  door  or 
window  ;  and,  loaded  with  canister  and  fired  into  an 
invading  horde  of  savages,  it  would  produce  fear 
ful  havoc  among  them. 

I  attached  a  rope  to  the  carriage,  and  we  rolled  it 
out  of  the  house.  When  I  realized  how  heavy  it 
was,  my  confidence  in  my  ability  to  convey  it  to 
the  main  shore  was  a  little  shaken.  However,  it 
was  down  hill  all  the  way  to  the  point  where  we 
had  landed,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in  moving  it  so 
far ;  but  we  had  to  return  a  second  time  for  the 
ammunition. 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  Plunkett,  "  and  here  we  are 
likely  to  be,  unless  we  go  over  without  the  gun. 
It  won't  swim  over  there." 

"  Of  course  it  won't,"  I  replied,  impatiently ; 
li  but  we  are  going  to  take  it  over  there.  Now  we 
must  make  a  raft." 


206  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  A  raft !  "  exclaimed  the  croaker.  "  The  lieu 
tenant  ought  to  have  sent  a  whole  section  over 
here.'' 

"  That's  the  idea  !  We  can  make  a  raft  in  less 
than  an  hour.  There  is  no  end  of  logs  here,"  add 
ed  Morgan,  glancing  along  the  shore,  where  there 
were  plenty  of  sticks  of  timber,  of  all  sorts  and 
sizes. 

Plunkett  growled ;  but  he  assisted  Morgan,  who 
went  to  work  in  earnest.  While  they  were  rolling 
the  logs  to  a  convenient  position  in  the  water,  I  went 
back  to  the  house.  Mr.  Gracewood  had  a  wheel 
barrow.  I  broke  up  some  large  boxes,  and  wheeled 
the  boards,  with  a  suppl}T  of  nails,  down  to  the 
river.  By  this  time  the  soldiers  had  placed  half  a 
_ dozen  logs,  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  long,  in  the 
water,  side  by  side.  They  had  been  obliged  to  use 
the  axes  a  little,  but  generally  the  sticks  had  been 
deprived  of  their  branches  by  being  tossed  about 
on  the  shore.  The  boards  I  had  brought  were 
nailed  across  them,  so  as  to  hold  them  together. 

Above  this  foundation  shorter  and  dryer  sticks, 
from  the  woods,  were  placed  crosswise,  and  while 
my  companions  were  laying  them  down  I  returned 
to  the  house  with  the  wheelbarrow.  I  could  take 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         207 

only  a  small  portion  of  the  ammunition  at  a  load, 
and  I  repeated  the  journey  several  times  before  the 
raft  was  finished.  1  did  not  bring  the  whole  of  it, 
but  I  thought  I  had  enough  to  kill  all  the  Indians 
within  twenty  miles  of  the  Castle. 

The  raft  was  built  up  a  loot  above  the  water,  so 
as  to  furnish  the  necessary  floating  power,  and 
the  parts  were  securely  bound  together  with  board 
battens.  We  rolled  the  gun  upon  the  structure, 
and  were  delighted  to  find  that  everything  was  a 
perfect  success.  We  placed  logs  on  each  side  of 
the  wheels,  and  lashed  the  carriage  down  to  the 
raft.  Loading  the  ammunition,  which  I  had  put 
into  several  boxes  in  order  to  trim  the  raft,  we 
pushed  it  off  from  the  shore. 

"  Now  we  are  all  ready,"  said  Morgan,  as  he 
leaped  into  the  boat,  with  the  rope  attached  to  the 
raft  in  his  hand. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  with  that  Indian  up  by  the 
house  ?  "  asked  Plunkett. 

"  Nothing,"  replied  Morgan. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  more  humane  to  kill  him 
than  to  let  him  starve  to  death  ?  " 

"  He  won't  starve  to  death,"  I  added.     "  He  will 


208  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

crawl  up  to  Mr.  Gracewood's  house,  where  there 
is  enough  to  feed  an  army  for  a  short  time." 

"  Don't  you  suppose  the  two  Indians  that  escaped 
are  watching  us  now  ?  "  asked  Morgan. 

"Very  likely  they  are." 

"  And  as  soon  as  we  are  gone,  they  will  come 
back." 

"  We  can't  help  it,"  I  answered. 

"  They  will  burn  the  house,  and  destroy  that 
Chickering's  grand  piano." 

"  It  would  break  Mr.  Gracewood's  heart  to  have 
that  destroyed,  for  it  was  his  best  friend  for  years ; 
but  I  don't  see  that  we  can  do  anything  to  preserve 
it.  We  might  save  some  of  his  property." 

"  I  think  we  ought  to  do  so,"  added  Morgan. 
"  It  will  not  delay  us  fifteen  minutes." 

We  decided  to  do  so ;  and,  fastening  the  rope  at 
tached  to  the  raft  to  a  tree,  we  hastened  up  to 
the  house.  Loading  the  wheelbarrow  with  the  most 
valuable  articles,  and  carrying  as  many  as  we  could 
in  our  hands,  we  returned  to  the  raft.  Putting  the 
goods  into  the  boat,  we  were  again  ready  for  a 
start.  The  barge  was  so  crowded  with  Mr.  Grace- 
wood's  effects  that  the  two  soldiers  decided  to  go 
on  the  raft,  leaving  me  to  row  the  boat,  which  was 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        209 

not  a  difficult  task,  down  the  river.  The  two  men 
were  provided  with  poles  to  assist  in  steering  it, 
and  getting  it  off  from  the  shore. 

"  Push  her  off!  "  I  shouted,  Avhen  all  was  ready. 

I  pulled  at  the  oars,  and  my  companions  on  the 
raft  tugged  at  the  poles.     We  cleared  the  shore, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  action  of  the  current 
gave  us  a  good  headway. 

"  We  are  all  right.  We  could  go  down  to  St. 
Louis  on  this  craft,"  said  Morgan. 

<;  We  could,  but  I  think  we  won't,"  I  replied. 
"  We  must  be  sure  and  not  let  the  current  carry 
us  beyond  Fish  River.  If  we  do,  we  can  never  get 
back  again." 

Fortunately  the  current  set  towards  the  landing- 
place,  which  was  our  destination,  and  I  pulled  well 
towards  the  north  shore. 

"  Indians  !  "  shouted  Plunkett,  after  we  had  gone 
a  short  distance. 

"  Where  are  they  ? "  1  asked,  unable  to  see 
them. 

II  Just  coming  out  from  the  north  shore,  above 
the  island,"  replied  Morgan. 

Standing  up  in  the  barge,  so  that  I  could  see 
over  the  gun  on  the  raft,  I  discovered  the  dugout. 
U 


210  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

It  contained  the  two  Indians  who  had  escaped 
from  the  island.  They  were  paddling  towards  us 
with  all  their  might ;  and  the  soldiers  picked  up 
their  muskets.  I  could  not  believe  that  the  sav 
ages  intended  to  attack  us  upon  the  open  river, 
after  the  repeated  defeats  they  had  sustained ;  but 
I  was  convinced  of  my  error  when  they  opened  fire 
upon  us.  However,  they  did  not  come  near  enough 
to  render  their  own  or  our  fire  effectual. 

"  Phil,  didn't  I  see  some  round  shot  among  the 
ammunition  you  brought  down  ? "  called  Morgan 
to  me. 

"  Yes ;  I  brought  down  a  few  cannon  balls.  I 
didn't  know  there  were  any  there  before,"  I 
replied. 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  where  they  are  now?" 

"  I  put  them  on  the  raft." 

He  and  Plunkett  overhauled  the  boxes,  and  found 
the  shot.  Morgan  intended  to  use  the  gun,  which 
would  make  short  work  of  the  enemy.  The  dugout 
had  followed  us  at  a  safe  distance  till  we  were  half 
way  to  the  landing.  The  Indians  had  evidently 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  wasting 
their  powder,  and  were  now  paddling  down  nearer 
to  the  raft.  It  was  a  long  time  before  the  soldiers 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  211 

had  the  gun  in  condition  for  use,  for  they  were 
obliged  to  alter  the  lashings,  so  that  they  could 
elevate  or  depress  it,  and  we  were  within  a  quar 
ter  of  a  mile  of  our  destination  before  it  was  ready. 
Although  the  Indians  quickened  their  speed,  they 
did  not  fire  again,  and  I  soon  discovered  that  they 
were  headed  to  the  north  shore. 

"  Hurry  up,  Morgan  !  "  I  shouted.  "  I  see  what 
they  are  going  to  do." 

"What?" 

"  They  are  headed  to  the  shore." 

"  I  see  they  are,"  replied  he,  as  he  rammed  home 
the  shot. 

"  They  are  going  into  the  woods  to  fire  at  us 
from  behind  the  trees  when  we  land,"  I  answered. 

"  I'll  soon  block  that  game.  Stand  by  the  lock- 
string,  Plunkett." 

The  dugout  Avas  now  going  at  a  right  angle  with 
the  course  of  the  raft,  and  was  about  sixty  yards 
from  the  shore. 

''  Pull  as  hard  as  you  can,  Phil,  so  as  to  keep  the 
raft  steady  ! "  called  Morgan,  as  he  sighted  along 
the  gun. 

I  applied  all  my  strength  to  the  oars. 

"  Out  from  the  shore  a  little  more,  Phil,"  added 


212  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

the  gunner,  as  he  depressed  the  muzzle  of  the  piece. 
"  Fire  !  "  shouted  he. 

I  stood  up  in  the  barge  to  note  the  effect  of  the 
shot.  A  yell  of  dismay  rose  from  the  Indians,  and 
I  saw  that  the  dugout  was  splintered  in  pieces. 
One  side  of  it  was  broken  in,  and  the  savages,  leap 
ing  into  the  water,  swam  for  the  shore. 

"  I  have  made  one  good  shot  to-day,  any  how," 
said  Morgan. 

"Didn't  I  fire  that  gun?"  cried  Plunkctt. 

"  Yes,  sir  !  You  are  the  organ-blower  that  played 
the  tune,"  replied  Morgan,  taking  no  pains  to  con 
ceal  his  disgust. 

"  Mind  the  raft,"  I  interposed,  finding  that  it  was 
swinging  off  from  the  shore. 

I  used  the  oars  vigorously  to  counteract  this 
tendency;  but  the  soldiers  could  not  reach  bottom 
with  their  poles,  and  were  unable  to  help  me  much. 
The  raft  was  heavy  and  the  current  very  strong. 
We  were  Avithin  a  few  rods  of  the  Fish  River. 

"  We  shall  be  carried  down  the  river,  if  we  don't 
look  out !  "  I  called,  anxiously. 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  We  can't  reach  bottom 
with  the  poles,"  replied  Morgan. 

"  Clear  away  a  long  rope,"  I  added.     "  When  the 


THE   FORTUNES   OP    A    FARMER.  213 

current  of  Fish  River  strikes  us,  we  shall  be 
carried  down  in  spite  of  all  we  can  do,  if  we  don't 
get  a  check  on  her." 

"  Here's  your  rope." 

"  Cast  off  the  drag-line,  and  make  fast  to  it." 

Morgan  did  as  I  directed,  and  taking  the  line 
into  the  boat,  I  carried  it  to  the  point  on  the  Fish 
opposite  the  landing.  I  succeeded  in  catching  a 
turn  around  a  tree.  The  rope  strained,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  ease  it  off  to  prevent  it  from  snapping; 
but  the  raft  was  checked. 

"  We  are  all  right  now,"  said  Morgan. 

"  Not  quite,"  I  replied.  "  If  we  let  her  go  again, 
the  current  will  carry  it  down  the  river." 

I  jumped  into  the  barge,  and  pulled  across  the 
river,  where  I  had  plenty  of  rope  in  the  shanty. 
I  carried  a  line  to  the  raft,  and  having  made  it  fast, 
I  conveyed  the  two  soldiers  to  the  shore.  Crossing 
the  river,  I  eased  off  the  line  which  Avas  secured  to 
the  tree,  while  the  men  on  the  other  side  pulled 
the  raft  up  to  the  landing. 

"  That's  very  well  done,  Phil,"  said  Morgan,  after 
my  return. 

"  Any  fool  could  have  done  it,"  added  Plunkett. 


214  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 

"  Of  course  they  could  —  you  could  have  done 
it,"  retorted  Morgan. 

"  It  is  just  the  plan  1  was  going  to  propose  —  " 

"  But  didn't." 

I  backed  the  wagon  into  the  two  trenches  I  had 
dug  to  load  the  flour,  and  rolling  the  gun  upon  the 
platform,  where  we  also  placed  the  ammunition, 
we  started  for  the  line  of  defence. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.       215 


CHAPTER   XX. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL   WITNESSES   THE   OPENING   OF   THE 
BATTLE   WITH    THE    INDIANS. 

<•' ~y\ IP    you    fire    the    gun,    Phil?"  asked    Mr. 

I  j  Gracewood,  as  we  halted  for  a  moment  at 
the  Castle  to  inform  him  that  his  goods  were  at 
the  landing. 

'•Yes,  sir;  Morgan  fired  one  shot  at  the  Indians 
in  the  dugout,  who  would  not  let  us  alone.  He 
used  a  solid  shot,  and  smashed  the  boat  so  that 
the  redskins  had  to  swim  ashore.  We  left  an  In 
dian  wounded  in  the  hip  on  your  island." 

"  Is  he  badly  wounded  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  how  badly,  but  I  don't  think  he 
will  be  able  to  get  away  from  there  very  soon.  He 
will  not  be  likely  to  do  any  mischief  at  present. 
We  brought  over  a  boat-load  of  your  things,  but 
we  hadn't  time  to  bring  them  up  here." 

"I  will  go  to  the  landing  and  attend  to  them." 


216  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"How  is  Ella,  sir?" 

"  She  is  doing  very  well." 

''  Glad  of  it ;  but  we  must  hurry  on  to  the 
camp." 

"  I  suppose  you  will  not  remain  there  long,  Phil 
Farringford  ? '' 

"  I  shall  have  to  come  back  to  feed  my  horses 
before  night." 

"  Better  come  back  immediately.  I  vant  to 
talk  with  you,  and  arrange  our  plans  for  the 
future." 

"  If  there  is  a  fight  going  on  up  in  the  woods, 
I  shall  want  to  know  how  it  is  coming  out." 

"  I  can  tell  you  that  beforehand.  The  Indians 
will  be  defeated,  utterly  routed,  and  perhaps  an 
nihilated.  That  is  always  the  case  when  the  sav 
ages  fight  with  the  white  man,  unless  they  sur 
prise  him  in  the  night.  1  hope  you  will  not  expose 
yourself,  Phil  Farringford.  Ella  is  very  much  con 
cerned  about  you,  and  afraid  that  some  harm  will 
befall  you." 

"  I  will  return  as  soon  as  I  can,  sir,"  1  replied, 
pleased  that  Ella  should  think  of  me  at  all,  though 
I  felt  that  I  had  earned  a  claim  upon  her  regard. 

I  drove  on,  and  we  soon  came  in  sight  of  the 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.       217 

works  of  the  soldiers.  They  had  nearly  completed 
their  breastworks,  which  consisted  merely  of  an 
embankment  of  logs  and  earth,  which  would  shel 
ter  the  men  from  the  fire  of  the  Indians.  It  ex 
tended  from  the  river  across  the  path,  and  some 
distance  into  the  forest. 

"  You  are  just  in  time,  Phil/'  said  Lieutenant 
Jackson,  as  I  stopped  my  horses 

"  Why  ?     Have  you  seen  the  Indians  ?  " 

'•  Xo ;  buf  our  scouts  have  just  come  in,  and 
report  a  large  body  of  savages  moving  this  way. 
We  are  all  ready  for  them,  or  we  shall  be  as  soon 
as  we  have  planted  this  gun.  You  were  gone 
longer  than  I  expected  you  would  be." 

"  The  gun  was  heavier  than  I  thought  it  was, 
and  we  had  to  fight  the  Indians  before  we  could 
do  anything/' 

While  Morgan  and  a  squad  of  men  were  unload 
ing  the  gun,  I  told  the  officer  the  adventures  of 
the  morning,  and  described  the  means  by  which 
we  had  transported  the  gun. 

'•  Did  my  men  behave  well?"  he  asked. 

"  Morgan  did,  and  is  a  first-rate  fellow.  Plun- 
kett  did  all  he  was  asked  to  do,  but  I  would  rather 


218  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 

have  another  mail  next  time  I  go  on  an  expedi 
tion." 

"  I  should  have  sent  more  men  if  you  had  not 
said  it  was  a  light  job." 

"  I  thought  so  myself." 

"  We  might  have  known  that  those  Indians 
were  lurking  somewhere  in  the  vicinity." 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  give  us  much  more 
trouble." 

"  They  will  continue  to  annoy  you  as  long  as 
they  have  the  power.  You  smashed  their  dugout, 
but  they  have  another  up  the  river  where  we  went 
yesterday." 

1  had  forgotten  all  about  the  other  dugout,  and 
thought  it  was  a  great  pity  it  had  not  been  se 
cured  or  destroyed,  for  the  neglect  might  cost 
Mr.  Grace  wood  his  house  and  other  property  on 
the  island.  The  two  Indians  had  swum  ashore 
not  three  miles  from  the  point  where  the  dugout 
had  been  left.  They  knew  that  our  party  had 
left  the  island,  and  the  rich  plunder  there  would 
be  too  great  a  temptation  to  be  resisted.  1  begged 
the  lieutenant  to  send  a  couple  of  men  with  me 
to  protect  the  property  of  my  good  friend. 

"  This  gun  is  a  great  reenforcement  to  me,  Phil, 


THE   FORTUNES  OF   A   FARMER.  219 

and  I  can  spare  three  men  —  more  if  you  need 
them,"  replied  the  officer. 

"  Three  will  do  very  well.  Let  Morgan  be  one 
of  them,"  I  added. 

"  You  might  take  two  of  the  men  left  at  the 
clearing ;  for,  in  attacking  the  Indians,  you  will 
be  defending  the  Castle,  as  you  call  it." 

"  They  are  coming,"  said  one  of  the  scouts,  ap 
proaching  the  spot  where  the  officer  stood. 

"  How  far  off  are  they  ?  " 

"  Not  a  mile  by  this  time." 

I  drove  my  horses  off  into  the  woods,  where 
they  could  not  be  injured  by  any  flying  bullets; 
but  I  was  not  willing  to  depart  from  the  exciting 
scene  which  impended,  and  I  hastened  back  to 
the  breastwork.  The  lieutenant  had  posted  his 
men  behind  their  defence,  and  I  could  distinctly 
hear  the  tramp  of  horses'  feet  in  the  distance.  The 
cannon  had  been  placed  at  the  opening  in  the 
works  prepared  for  it.  The  men  lay  upon  the 
ground  behind  the  defence,  with  their  muskets 
ready  for  use.  The  forest  was  as  silent  as  at 
midnight,  for  the  lieutenant  had  ordered  his  men 
not  to  show  themselves  till  the  order  to  do  so 
was  given. 


220  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

1  lay  upon  the  ground,  looking  through  a  loop 
hole.  The  officer  in  command  was  near  me,  watch 
ing  his  opportunity.  But  the  savages  were  wary ; 
and  instead  of  seeing  the  whole  band,  as  we  had 
expected,  a  couple  of  mounted  scouts  only  ap 
peared.  They  discovered  the  formidable  ob 
stacle  in  their  path,  and  halting,  unslung  their 
guns. 

"  I  hope  they  don't  mean  to  assault  us  alone," 
said  Mr.  Jackson. 

''  They  seem  to  be  examining  the  works,"  I 
added. 

"  I  don't  want  to  fire  till  the  main  body  ap 
pears." 

''  They  are  going  back  to  report." 

The  two  Indians  turned  their  horses,  and  were 
soon  out  of  sight.  We  did  not  see  any  of  the 
enemy  again  for  half  an  hour.  They  came  the 
next  time  in  a  swarm,  with  shouting  and  yell 
ing,  sounding  their  war-cry  as  though  they 
were  thoroughly  in  earnest,  as  we  had  no  doubt 
they  were.  Without  attempting  to  count  them, 
I  judged  that  they  numbered  two  hundred. 
Though  the  greater  portion  of  them  moved  in 
the  path,  they  were  scattered  through  the  woods 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  221 

in  a  column  longer  than  our  breastworks.  They 
had  left  their  horses  behind.  As  soon  as  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  works,  they  broke  into  a  run, 
and,  increasing  their  savage  yells,  rushed  forward 
with  the  evident  intention  of  carrying  our  line  by 
storm. 

"  Ready  !  "  shouted  Lieutenant  Jackson,  with  a 
coolness  and  self-possession  which  astonished  me. 
The  men  all  levelled  their  muskets  at  the  ap 
proaching  foe,  pointing  them  through  the  loop 
holes,  which  had  been  left  for  the  purpose.  Their 
bayonets  were  all  fixed,  in  readiness  to  repel  an 
assault  if  the  first  fire  did  not  check  the  advance 
of  the  Indians.  Morgan  was  sighting  the  twelve- 
pounder.  On  rushed  the  enemy,  as  it  seemed  to 
me,  to  certain  destruction.  I  could  not  believe 
that  they  were  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  sol 
diers,  and  perhaps  supposed  they  were  attacking  a 
fort  manned  by  half  a  dozen  persons.  Xone  of  the 
Indians  who  had  come  down  Crooked  River  had 
been  able  to  return  to  afford  them  any  informa 
tion.  Lieutenant  Pope's  force  must  be  in  their 
rear,  and  if  they  had  known  that  he  Avas  near 
them,  they  would  not  have  come  down  the  river. 
Lieutenant  Jackson  permitted  the  savages  to 


222  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

come  within  fifty  yards  of  the  works  before  he 
gave  the  order  to  fire.  The  cannon  was  pointed 
so  as  to  cover  the  path  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
where  a  dense  mass  of  Indians  was  moving. 

"  Fire ! "  shouted  the  officer,  when  the  deci 
sive  moment  came. 

Almost  at  the  same  instant  every  musket  was 
discharged,  and  the  twelve-pounder  awoke  the 
echoes  of  the  forest  at  the  same  time.  I  fired 
with  the  rest.  It  was  a  yell  of  terror  and  de 
spair  which  followed  the  volley ;  and,  as  soon  as 
the  smoke  rolled  away,  I  saw  that  the  ground  was 
covered  with  the  dead  and  wounded.  So  dense 
Avas  the  column  in  front  of  the  fort,  that  it  was  riot 
possible  for  any  man  in  it  to  fire  without  hitting 
an  Indian,  while  the  scattered  missiles  from  the 
canister  shot  probably  did  as  much  execution  as 
a  dozen  muskets. 

The  men  were  prepared  to  repel  an  assault  with 
the  bayonets ;  but  no  attack  was  made,  for  the  In 
dians  fled  with  the  utmost  precipitation  from  the 
deadly  spot.  The  soldiers  promptly  reloaded  their 
muskets,  and  the  cannon  was  ready  for  another  dis 
charge. 

"  You  can  go  now,  Phil,"  said  Lieutenant  Jack- 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  223 

SOD.  "  The  battle  is  fought  for  the  present.  They 
will  not  renew  it." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  the  rest  of  the  soldiers 
are  —  those  who  went  up  the  river  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Probably  they  have  been  holding  back,  so  as 
not  to  alarm  the  enemy.  The  noise  of  that  twelve- 
pounder  will  inform  them  that  the  work  has  com 
menced.  Now,  Phil,  is  it  possible  for  these  In 
dians  to  escape  by  any  other  route  than  this  by 
this  river  ?  " 

"  Not  with  their  horses.  They  can  cross  over 
to  the  brook,  and  follow  that,  which  will  lead  them 
to  their  village,  eight  miles  from  here." 

"  Very  well ;  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to  cap 
ture  a  good  portion  of  them  as  soon  as  the  other 
force  closes  upon  them." 

"  I  will  go  over  to  the  island  now,  though  I 
should  like  to  stay  and  see  how  the  thing  is  com 
ing  out." 

"  Of  course  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  result. 
I  think  we  have  already  convinced  them  that  it  is 
not  safe  to  shoot  down  white  men." 

I  glanced  at  the  ground  in  front  of  the  works, 
where  many  of  the  savages  were  still  writhing 
in  the  agony  of  their  wounds.  It  was  a  sicken- 


224  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

ing  sight,  and  I  turned  away  from  it.  The  sol 
diers  were  standing  up,  and  gazing  at  the  bloody 
field.  I  walked  down  the  road  towards  the  place 
where  I  had  left  the  horses. 

"  Hyer,  boy  ! "  shouted  a  voice  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  which  I  at  once  recognized  as 
that  of  Kit  Cruncher,  though  I  could  not  under 
stand  how  he  happened  to  be  here. 

•'Hallo,  Kit!     Is  that  you?"  I  responded. 

"  'Tain't  nobody  else.  Hev  you  nary  a  boat 
over  thar  ?  " 

"  I  have  not." 

"  Who's  that.  Phil  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Jackson,  calling 
to  me  from  the  fort. 

"  Kit  Cruncher ;  the  man  who  guided  the  other 
force." 

••  Tell  the  leftenant  I  want  to  speak  to  him,  boy. 
I  hev  a  message  from  t'other  officer." 

I  went  back  to  the  fort,  and  delivered  the  mes 
sage  of  Kit.  The  soldiers  had  some  rubber  army 
boats,  which  they  carried  with  them  to  use  in 
crossing  streams.  A  couple  of  men  were  sent 
to  prepare  one  of  them,  which  was  launched,  and 
I  paddled  it  across  the  river. 

"  I    heerd   the    firm',  boy,   and   the  battle  has 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  225 

begun,"  said  Kit,  as  he  seated  himself  in  the  bot 
tom  of  the  boat. 

"  We  fired  only  one  volley  at  them,  and  that  was 
all  they  would  stop  to  receive." 

"  You  liev  a  big  gun  here." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Gracewood's  twelve-pounder.  It 
knocks  down  everything  before  it." 

"  I  see  it  does.  I  was  on  t'other  side  of  the 
Fish  when  the  job  was  done,  and  I  see  it  all.  I 
did  my  part,  too ;  for  I  shot  one  Indian  I  know." 

•i  But  where  is  the  other  party  of  soldiers  ?  "  I 
asked. 

•'  They  ain't  more'n  three  miles  from  here  ;  and 
1  caPlate,  when  they  heerd  that  big  gun,  they  be 
gun  to  hurry  up." 

We  landed,  and  I  conducted  Kit  to  Mr.  Jackson, 
to  whom  the  hunter  delivered  a  written  order. 
15 


226  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL   SEES   THE   CONCLUSION    OF    THE   WAR. 

"  TT1 7~E  expected  this  fight  earlier  in  the  day," 
f  f  said  Lieutenant  Jackson,  as  Kit  and  1 
appeared  before  him. 

"  The  Injuns  stopped  to  fish  on  the  way,  and  to 
feed  their  stock,"  replied  Kit,  as  he  delivered  the 
order  of  Lieutenant  Pope.  "  The  cap'n  sent  me 
down  to  see  if  everything  was  all  right  on  this 
side." 

"  And  he  orders  me  to  send  part  of  my  force  up 
the  brook  on  our  right." 

"  That's  Kit's  Brook,"  I  added. 

"  I  shall  want  a  guide,  then." 

"  I'm  your  man,"  interposed  Kit.  "  And  noVs 
the  right  time  to  start,  for  the  fight  will  begin  on 
t'other  side  in  a  few  minutes." 

A  sergeant  and  ten  men  were  detailed  to  move 
up  Kit's  Brook,  in  order  to  prevent  the  Indians 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        227 

from  escaping  in  that  direction.  Kit  led  the  party 
towards  the  stream,  but  they  had  hardly  disap 
peared  in  the  forest  before  we  heard  the  rattle  of 
musketry  in  front  of  us.  Lieutenant  Pope's  force  had 
come  up  with  the  Indians,  arid  had  attacked  them. 
We  listened  to  the  warlike  sounds  which  came  to 
us,  and  that  was  all  we  could  do.  I  was  too 
much  excited  to  leave  the  scene  of  conflict  until 
the  battle  had  been  decided. 

The  din  of  the  strife  gradually  became  more  dis 
tinct  as  the  combatants  approached,  the  Indians 
being  driven  before  the  soldiers.  By  this  time  the 
sergeant  and  his  party,  who  had  gone  up  the  brook 
with  Kit,  were  taking  the  enemy  on  the  flank. 
Presently  we  saw  a  few  of  the  Indians  rushing 
wildly  through  the  woods,  and  occasionally  a  rider 
less  horse  came  into  view.  We  realized  that  the 
savages  had  been  routed,  scattered,  and  dispersed. 
WTe  saw  them  swimming  across  the  river,  and  skulk 
ing  into  the  woods.  Lieutenant  Jackson  ordered 
his  men  to  form  in  front  of  the  breastwork,  for  by 
this  time  the  firing  had  ceased.  Leading  them  for 
ward,  they  captured  a  few  prisoners,  who  were 
sent  to  the  rear.  As  the  two  columns  approached 
each  other,  the  retreat  of  about  twenty  of  the 


228  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

savages  was  cut  off,  and  they  were  surrounded. 
It  appeared  that  nearly  fifty  prisoners  had  been 
taken  by  both  parties,  and  not  less  than  twenty 
horses,  while  as  many  more  were  running  loose  in 
the  forest. 

"  How  are  you,  Jackson  ?  "  said  Lieutenant  Pope, 
as  the  two  officers  met. 

"  Very  well,  thank  you.     How  is  it  with  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  all  right.  We  have  done  our  work 
thoroughly." 

"  We  have,  indeed." 

"After  it  became  nothing  but  butchery,  I  ordered 
my  men  to  cease  firing,"  added  Lieutenant  Pope. 
"  The  enemy  were  badly  cut  up  when  we  came 
upon  them.  Didn't  I  hear  a  heavy  gun  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  have  a  twelve-pounder  on  our  battery. 
We  fired  it  but  once,  loaded  with  canister ; "  and 
Mr.  Jackson  proceeded  to  explain  how  he  had  ob 
tained  the  gun. 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  these  prisoners?"  con 
tinued  Lieutenant  Pope.  "  They  will  be  a  nuisance 
to  us,  and  I  don't  wish  to  feed  them  a  great  while." 

"  We  had  better  take  them  down  to  the  clear 
ing." 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.        229 

"  There  is  feed  enough  for  the  horses  down  on 
Bear  River/'  said  I. 

"  We  will  send  them  down  there,"  added  Lieu 
tenant  Pope.  I  have  no  idea  that  these  Indians 
will  assemble  again." 

"  Xo ;  they  are  completely  scattered,  and  they 
will  make  their  way  back  to  their  village." 

"  But  they  may  cause  some  trouble," 

<;  Very  true ;  and,  Phil,  you  must  hurry  to  the 
island.  If  you  have  boats  enough,  you  may  take 
half  a  dozen  men." 

"  We  have  three  boats/'  I  replied, 

I  went  for  my  team,  and  Lieutenant  Pope  or 
dered  the  men  who  had  come  with  him  to  remain 
at  the  breastwork,  while  those  under  Mr.  Jackson 
conducted  the  prisoners  and  the  horses  to  the  clear 
ing.  The  senior  officer  rode  down  with  me,  and  on 
the  way  I  told  him  all  that  had  occurred  since  I  left 
him  the  night  before.  He  informed  me  that  his 
force  had  followed  the  band  of  Indians,  three  or  four 
miles  in  their  rear,  till  they  heard  the  firing  in  front, 
when  they  had  pressed  forward  with  all  speed,  and 
intercepted  the  enemy,  as  they  retreated,  not  more 
than  a  mile  from  the  breastwork. 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  have  any  more  trouble 


230    '  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

with  the  Indians,"  said  he,  in  conclusion.  u  They 
have  been  severely  punished  for  the  murder 
they  committed.  If  I  can  find  the  man  who  shot 
your  father,  I  shall  made  an  example  of  him." 

"  I  think  he  was  the  first  Indian  that  fell,"  I  re 
plied.  "  Kit  Cruncher  dropped  a  redskin  as  soon  as 
Matt  Rockwood  was  hit.  I  don't  think  they  will 
need  any  more  punishing." 

"  I  hope  not." 

When  we  reached  the  Castle,  we  found  that  two 
of  the  guard  had  gone  over  to  the  island  to  protect 
Mr.  Gracewood's  property.  Dinner  was  ready,  and 
as  we  were  now  in  no  haste,  we  sat  down  with  the 
reunited  family.  Ella  was  up,  and  had  been  improv 
ing  rapidly.  The  news  of  the  total  defeat  of  the 
Indians  seemed  to  quiet  her  fears  in  regard  to  the 
future. 

"  She  does  not  wish  to  go  upon  Paradise  Island 
again,"  said  her  father. 

'•'  She  need  not  go  there,"  I  added  ;  "  though  your 
house  is  much  better  than  the  Castle." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  the  matter  over  for  some 
time,  Phil.  I  have  concluded  that  we  had  better 
move  my  house  over  to  the  clearing,  if  you  will  let 
us  locate  on  your  laud." 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  231 

"  On  my  land  ?  " 

"  I  believe  in  squatter  sovereignty,  Phil  Farring- 
ford,  and  I  regard  this  as  your  farm.  The  house  is 
put  up  with  screws,  and  can  be  readily  taken 
down." 

"What  will  you  do  with  your  piano,  sir?"  I 
inquired. 

"  I  must  get  some  passing  steamer  to  transport 
that.  The  box  in  which  it  was  brought  up  from 
St.  Louis  is  still  on  the  island." 

"  Our  men  shall  assist  you  in  moving  the  house," 
said  Lieutenant  Pope. 

"It  can  be  done  in  a  couple  of  days,  with  force 
enough,"  added  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  We  will  go  to  work  upon  it  to-morrow." 
After  dinner.  Morgan  and  I  Avent  over  to  the  island, 
where  we  found  the  two  soldiers  domiciled  in  the 
house.  The  wounded  Indian  was  there  with  them. 
He  had  crawled  into  the  front  room  before  their 
arrival,  and  I  was  pleased  to  learn  that  they  had  fed 
him,  and  done  what  they  could  for  his  wounds. 
They  had  put  a  big  plaster  on  his  nose,  and  bound 
up  the  back  of  his  head.  An  assistant  surgeon  be 
longed  to  the  detachment,  but  he  was  attending  the 
wounded  soldiers  and  Indians  above  the  breast- 


232  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

work.  None  of  the  troops  had  been  killed  ;  one  was 
severely  and  two  slightly  wounded. 

Probably  the  presence  of  the  two  soldiers  on  the 
island  had  prevented  the  Indians  from  returning. 
Leaving  Morgan  at  the  house,  I  returned  to  the 
clearing.  On  my  arrival  I  found  that  Lieutenant 
Pope,  after  serving  out  rations  to  his  prisoners, 
which  they  had  greedily  devoured,  had  assembled 
them  in  the  field,  for  the  purpose  of  having  a  "  big 
talk"  with  them.  Two  or  three  of  them  spoke 
English  enough  to  act  as  interpreters. 

"  \Vhy  have  you  done  this?''  asked  Mr.  Pope. 
"  Why  did  you  come  down  here,  steal  the  horses, 
and  then  murder  the  owner  of  them  ?  " 

The  spokesman  charged  us  with  stealing  the 
Indian  horses  and  killing  one  of  their  chiefs. 

"How's  that,  Phil?"  asked  the  officer. 

"  They  stole  our  horses,  and  when  we  found 
them,  we  took  two  other  horses  belonging  to  the 
thieves,"  I  replied.  "  But  we  returned  them  when 
they  came  for  them,  the  next  day.  They  demanded 
more  horses,  besides  corn,  meat,  and  whiskey,  which 
we  refused  to  give  them,  and  they  threatened  us. 
Then  about  a  dozen  Indians  came  on  horseback  ;  but 
we  had  taken  up  the  bridge,  so  that  they  could  not 


THE   FORTUNES   OP    A    FARMER.  233 

cross  over  the  brook.  When  old  Matt  came  down, 
they  shot  him  dead,  without  a  word  of  talk.  Then 
Kit  Cruncher  fired,  and  brought  down  the  foremost 
Indian.  The  rest  of  them  ran  away.  We  defended 
ourselves  in  the  block-house,  and  they  did  not  dare 
to  come  near  us,  for  Kit  was  sure  of  his  man  every 
time  he  fired.  Then  some  more  of  them  came  down 
to  the  island,  and  when  we  drove  them  away  from 
the  house,  they  carried  off  Miss  Ella.  That's  the 
whole  story.  Mr.  Gracewood  was  here  all  the  time, 
and  he  will  tell  you  the  same  thing.''" 

Lieutenant  Pope  repeated  my  statement  to  the 
Indians,  and  insisted  that  it  was  the  whole  truth. 

"  These  people  have  been  your  friends,"  said  he. 
"  They  have  often  given  you  meat  and  corn  when 
you  were  hungry,  and  have  lived  in  peace  with 
you  for  many  years.  Our  great  father  the  presi 
dent  will  not  permit  his  children  in  the  forest  to  be 
murdered.  If  you  kill  one  white  man,  or  steal  his 
property,  you  shall  be  punished  as  you  have  been 
to-day.  We  bought  your  lands  in  fair  bargain,  and 
we  give  you  every  year  money,  blankets,  food,  and 
all  you  need.  If  the  white  man  wrongs  you,  he 
shall  be  punished." 


234  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  No  !  "  exclaimed  the  Indian,  whose  experience, 
perhaps,  did  not  verify  this  statement. 

"  If  you  complain  of  him,  and  we  can  find  him,  he 
shall  be  punished,"  repeated  the  officer. 

He  proceeded  to  show  that  the  Indians  had  been 
the  aggressors  in  the  present  difficulty ;  that  they 
had  murdered  one  of  the  settlers  without  provoca 
tion.  He  enlarged  upon  the  terrible  consequences 
which  would  follow  if  the  Indians  persisted  in  wa 
ging  war  upon  the  white  man.  If  the  lieutenant  had 
proved  that  he  was  powerful  on  the  war-path,  he 
also  demonstrated  that  he  was  equally  potent  in  an 
argument,  and  the  savages  were  as  completely  over 
whelmed  by  his  logic  as  by  his  arms. 

"Will  you  have  peace  or  war?"  demanded  he, 
sternly. 

"  We  make  peace,"  replied  the  spokesman. 

"  Then  bring  your  chiefs  to  me,  and  we  will  smoke 
the  pipe  of  peace.  We  wish  you  well,  and  will  be 
friends  if  you  are  willing ;  if  not,  we  will  go  to  your 
country,  and  destroy  you  with  fire  and  sword.  You 
may  go ;  take  your  horses,  and  all  that  belongs  to 
you." 

The  savages  seemed  to  be  astonished  at  this  un 
expected  decree.  Their  spirit  was  broken  by  the 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        235 

heavy  losses  they  had  sustained.  Their  horses, 
some  of  which  were  fine  animals,  were  driven  up, 
and  a  detachment  of  the  troops  conducted  them  to 
the  fort  in  the  forest,  where  they  were  sent  on 
their  way.  Probably  those  who  had  escaped  were 
already  on  their  way  to  the  north.  As  it  was  no  long 
er  necessary  to  maintain  the  camp  in  the  forest,  it 
was  removed  to  the  clearing.  A  portion  of  the 
breastwork  near  the  river  was  taken  away  to  open 
the  road,  the  dead  Indians  were  buried,  and  the 
war  was  practically  ended.  From  what  I  had  heard 
of  these  Indians,  I  was  confident  that  we  should 
have  no  further  trouble,  though  Lieutenant  Pope 
intended  to  visit  the  Indian  village,  and  have  a  talk 
with  the  chiefs  before  he  returned  to  the  fort. 

The  next  morning  our  three  boats  conveyed 
twelve  soldiers  to  the  island  to  commence  the  re 
moval  of  Mr.  Gracewood's  house.  The  wounded 
Indian  was  placed  on  a  bed  under  a  tree,  and  the 
soldiers  commenced  their  task.  After  they  had 
gone  to  work  with  knives  and  screw  drivers  to  take 
down  the  house,  I  returned  to  the  clearing  for 
Lieutenant  Jackson,  who  was  to  superintend  the 
operation. 


236  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

IN   WHICH   PHIL    UNDERTAKES    A    HEAVY   JOB. 

"  TTOW  big  is  this  house,  Phil?"  asked  Lieu- 

J 1.  tenant  Jackson,  as  I  rowed  him  up  to 

Paradise  Island. 

"It  is  thirty  feet  long  and  fifteen  wide." 

"  I  haven't  heard  anything  said  about  the  man 
ner  of  transporting  it,"  added  the  officer. 

"  We  must  raft  it  down.  We  have  taken  up  all 
the  ropes  we  have.  Mr.  Gracewood  told  me  how 
to  handle  the  grand  piano." 

"  The  grand  piano,"  laughed  Mr.  Jackson. 
"  That's  a  pretty  plaything  to  have  away  back 
here  in  the  woods." 

"  Mr.  Gracewood  sets  his  life  by  that  piano.  He 
used  to  smoke  and  play  upon  it  by  the  hour  to 
gether.  He  is  very  fond  of  music." 

"  I  should  think  he  must  be,  to  bring  a  grand 
piano  out  here.  How  heavy  is  it?" 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.         237 

"  It  weighs  about  eight  hundred  pounds.  Mr. 
Gracewood  told  me  to  have  it  put  in  the  box,  and 
leave  it  here  till  some  steamer  can  be  hired  to 
bring  it  down.'' 

"  The  rain  and  dampness  will  spoil  it." 

"  He  told  me  to  wrap  it  up  in  the  oil-cloth  that 
belongs  with  it ;  but,  if  you  arc  willing,  Lieuten 
ant  Jackson,  we  will  astonish  him  by  taking  it 
down  with  us." 

"  I  think  it  would  astonish  me  as  much  as  him 
to  see  it  done." 

"We  can  do  it." 

"  I  hear  that  you  are  an  engineer,  Phil,"  added 
my  passenger.  "  Morgan  says  you  engineered  the 
job  of  transporting  the  gun." 

"  The  grand  piano  is  not  more  than  two  or  three 
hundred  pounds  heavier  than  the  twelve-pounder." 

"  That  is  adding  a  third,  arid  the  gun  was  on 
wheels." 

"  No  matter  for  that ;  we  had  but  three  to  do 
that,  and  now  we  have  a  dozen." 

"How  will  you  do  it,  Phil?" 

I  explained  my  plan,  and  Mr.  Jackson  thought 
it  was  practicable. 

"  I  suppose  Mr.  Gracewood  and  his  family  intend 


238  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 

to  remain  at  the  clearing  after  we  have  moved 
the  house,"  continued  my  companion  in  the  barge. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  believe  his  wife  and 
daughter  will  be  content  to  stay  a  great  Avhile  in 
this  lonely  place.  They  may  live  here  during  the 
summer;  but  in  winter  we  don't  see  anybody  or 
anything  for  months." 

"What  do  you  do  in  winter?" 

"  I  have  been  studying  for  several  years." 

"  I  thought  you  talked  very  well  for  a  boy 
brought  up  in  the  woods." 

"  I  don't  have  anything  to  do  for  six  months  in 
the  year  but  take  care  of  the  horses,  and  do  the 
housework.  1  read  and  study  about  twelve  hours 
a  day  in  winter.  1  took  up  Latin  and  French  last 
season." 

"  Indeed  !  You  will  make  a  learned  man  if  you 
keep  on.  Have  you  no  desire  to  see  more  of  the 
world  ?  " 

"  Sometimes  I  have.  I  don't  think  I  shall  stay 
here  many  years  longer." 

"I  shouldn't  think  you  would.  Why  do  you 
fttudy  Latin  and  French  ?  " 

"  Only  because  I  like  them.  It  is  a  very  great 
pleasure  to  me  to  puzzle  out  the  sentences.  Mr. 


THE  FOETUNES  OF  A  FARMER.         239 

Gracewood  is  a  great  scholar,  and  has  plenty  of 
books  on  the  island.  I  believe  I  have  read  them 
all,  except  the  dictionaries.  He  had  given  me  a 
lot  of  books,  which  he  sent  to  St.  Louis  for." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  want  to  know  some 
thing  about  your  family — your  father  and  mother," 
added  the  lieutenant,  to  whom  Mr.  Gracewood 
had  related  the  substance  of  my  history. 

"  I  do,  sometimes  ;  but  I  am  almost  sure  I  should 
learn  that  one  or  both  of  them  were  lost  in  the 
steamer." 

"  Perhaps  not.  Mr.  Gracewood  thinks  your 
foster-father  did  very  wrong  in  not  causing  some 
inquiries  to  be  made  for  your  parents." 

"  I  think  so  myself;  but  I  can  excuse  him  when 
I  consider  how  much  he  did  for  me,  and  the 
reason  why  he  kept  still,"  I  replied,  as  I  ran  the 
barge  upon  the  shore  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
island. 

"  Have  you  any  of  the  clothing,  or  other 
articles,  found  upon  you?" 

"  I  don't  know  of  any." 

''Almost  every  little  child  has  a  necklace,  a  ring, 
or  some  other  ornament  upon  it,  especially  when 
travelling." 


240  FIELD    AND   FOREST,   OR 

"  Matt  Rockwood  never  said  anything  to  me 
about  such  matters.  He  has  a  chest  at  the 
Castle,  which  he  always  kept  locked,  and  I  don't 
know  what  there  is  in  it.'' 

"Didn't  you  open  it  after  he  was  killed?" 
"  No  ;  the  key  was  buried  with  him,  and  I  did  not 
exactly  like  to  break  it  open  yet.     Besides,  I  have 
been  so  driven  about  since  AVC  buried  him  that  I 
haven't  had  much  time  to  think  about  it." 
"  I  would  open  it,  if  I   were  you." 
"  I  shall,"  I  replied,  as  we  walked  up  the  slope 
towards  the  house. 

"  Perhaps  there  is  something  valuable  in  it." 
"  I  know  there  is  money  in  it,  for  we  have  sold 
a  great  deal  of  wood,  and  he  always  put  the  gold 
into  that  chest." 

"  You  may  be  a  rich  man  yet,  Phil." 
"  I  don't  know  that  the  money  belongs  to  me.     I 
suppose  Matt  had  friends  and  relatives  somewhere, 
though  I  don't  know  where  they  are." 

"  You  have  done  as  much  as  Matt,  of  late  years, 
to  earn  this  money,  and  it  would  be  a  hard  case 
to  have  it  taken  from  you  by  his  relations." 

"  I  think  it  would.  Matt  did  most  of  the  chop 
ping,  and  I  did  all  the  hauling.  But  I  meant  to 


THE    FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  241 

6e  honest,  und  the  money  shall  go  wherever  it 
belongs." 

"  Have  you  any  idea  how  much  there  is  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least ;  but  I  don't  suppose  there  is  a 
great  deal/'  I  replied,  as  we  reached  the  house. 

"If  I  can  help  you,  Phil,  call  upon  me  at  any 
time.  I  shall  be  at  the  fort  above  for  a  year  or 
two,  probably." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Jackson.  You  have  been  very 
kind  to  me.  I  shall  always  remember  you." 

The  soldiers  had  removed  most  of  the  boards 
on  the  sides  of  the  house,  and  were  now  taking  off 
the  roof.  The  lieutenant  ordered  some  of  his  men 
to  bring  up  the  piano  box,  which  was  in  a  rude 
shanty  used  as  a  storehouse  for  supplies.  All 
the  force  that  could  get  hold  of  the  piano  then 
placed  it  sidewise  upon  four  chairs,  and  we  took 
off  the  legs.  The  instrument  was  then  wrapped 
in  the  oil-cloth,  and  placed  in  the  box,  where  it 
could  not  be  injured  by  a  falling  board  or  timber. 
Raising  the  case  upon  three  rollers,  which  I  had 
prepared  for  the  purpose,  we  easily  slid  it  out  of 
the  house  on  a  track  of  boards. 

"  Xow,  Mr.  Jackson,  if  you  will  let  Morgan  help 


242  FIELD   ANP   FOREST,   OR 

me,  we  will  move  this  box  down  to  the  river,"  said 
I,  when  it  was  ready. 

"  But  you  want  half  a  dozen  men,"  added  he. 

"  No,  sir.  Let  all  the  rest  of  the  men  take 
down  the  house.  We  can  do  this  alone.  It  is  a 
long  job,  and  we  must  have  it  moving  at  once." 

"  Just  as  you  say,  Phil,"  laughed  the  officer. 

The  distance  to  the  river  was  about  eighty 
rods.  The  forest  was  open  enough,  the  greater 
part  of  the  way,  to  permit  the  passage  of  the  box, 
and  only  near  the  river  should  we  be  obliged  to 
cut  away  the  young  trees.  We  demolished  the 
old  shanty,  and  taking  half  a  dozen  of  the  boards, 
laid  down  a  track  towards  the  river.  The  ground 
was  nearly  level  for  a  short  distance,  and  we  used 
levers  to  propel  the  box  forward.  As  fast  as  one 
roller  ran  out  in  the  rear,  we  placed  it  forward, 
and  thus  managed  to  keep  both  ends  of  the  box 
up  all  the  time. 

"  Why  couldn't  we  move  the  house  without 
taking  it  to  pieces,  Phil  ? "  said  the  lieutenant, 
laughing,  as  he  watched  the  operation. 

"  We  could,  sir,  if  the  trees  were  not  in  the  way. 
It  would  be  more  work  to  cut  a  track  through 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  243 

the  woods  wide  enough  for  the  house  than  to 
take  it  to  pieces  and  put  it  together." 

"  Do  you  really  think  you  could  move  the 
house,  without  taking  it  to  pieces,  if  the  trees 
were  not  in  the  way  ?  " 

"  I  know  I  could." 

"  You  have  a  good  deal  of  confidence  in  your 
self." 

"  I  was  brought  up  in  the  woods,  where  we  have 
to  do  our  own  thinking." 

"  How  would  you  take  it  down  the  river  ?  " 

"  There  are  hundreds  of  cotton-wood  sticks, 
from  forty  to  sixty  feet  long,  on  the  shore.  We 
could  make  a  raft  of  them,  that  would  keep  the 
building  right  side  up." 

"  But,  after  your  raft  got  started,  how  could 
you  stop  it,  and  haul  it  in  at  the  mouth  of  Fish 
River?  The  current  here  is  not  less  than  four 
miles  an  hour." 

"  That  would  be  the  greatest  difficulty  about 
the  job.  I  should  have  some  sweeps  on  the  raft, 
and  a  dozen  men  could  crowd  it  over  against 
the  north  shore,  where  we  could  send  a  couple 
of  ropes  on  shore,  and  check  it  by  catching  a 
turn  around  the  trees." 


244  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  Very  likely  you  would  do  it,  Phil ;  but  it's 
lucky  we  haven't  the  job  on  our  hands." 

"  I  wish  we  had,  for  I  should  enjoy  the  fun,  if  I 
were  boss  of  the  job." 

We  continued  to  roll  the  box  on  its  way  down 
to  the  river,  carrying  the  boards  forward  as  we 
passed  over  them,  until  we  came  to  the  downward 
slope,  when  the  heavy  weight  was  inclined  to 
travel  faster  than  was  safe  for  it.  But  I  had 
a  rope  on  the  case,  for  I  had  already  provided  for 
the  emergency.  Making  it  fast  to  the  rear  end  of 
the  box,  I  passed  it  round  a  tree,  and  while  Mor 
gan  eased  it  down  the  slope,  I  shifted  the  rollers. 
When  the  whole  length  of  the  line  had  been  run 
out,  we  changed  it  to  another  tree. 

As  the  descent  increased,  we  found  that  the  rope 
canted  the  box,  so  that  it  was  in  danger  of  run 
ning  off  the  board  track.  Morgan  cut  down  a 
tree  about  thirty  feet  high,  and  trimmed  off  its 
branches.  We  placed  the  stick  across  the  track 
behind  the  box,  and  above  two  trees.  Passing  the 
rope  around  this  timber,  we  had  our  purchase  in 
the  right  place.  When  we  shifted  the  cross  stick 
down  the  hill,  the  box  was  held  by  a  couple  of 
props.  In  this  manner  we  descended  the  slope.  It 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  245 

was  dinner  time  then,  and  we  halted  in  our  tri 
umphant  progress  to  refresh  ourselves  with  boiled 
bacon  and  johnny-cake. 

After  dinner  we  resumed  our  labor.  Taking 
the  axes,  we  cleared  a  road  through  the  young 
wood  near  the  river.  We  had  occasionally  been 
obliged  to  use  the  shovels  to  level  off  the  ground, 
and  the  axes  to  remove  a  stump,  or  a  small  tree. 
Our  course  had  been  rather  devious  also,  in  order 
to  obtain  the  smoothest  path.  A  couple  of  hours 
more  enabled  us  to  reach  the  river.  We  placed 
the  box  near  a  convenient  place  to  embark  it. 
We  then  prepared  a  dozen  logs  for  the  foundation 
of  the  great  raft  we  were  to  make  of  the  lumber, 
and  returned  to  the  house. 

I  found  the  soldiers  growling  at  the  idea  of 
lugging  all  the  boards  and  timbers  down  to  the 
river. 

"  Don't  do  it,"  said  I  to  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  They  must  do  it,  or  leave  them  here." 

"  No,  sir,  I  think  not.  There  is  not  a  board 
nor  a  timber  here  that  is  more  than  twelve  feet 
long.  We  can  make  three  or  four  piles  of  the 
boards,  and  roll  them  down  to  the  river,  as  we 
did  the  grand  piano." 


246  FIELD   AND    FOREST,    OR 

"  Bully  for  you,  Phil ! "  said  a  lazy  soldier,  in 
a  low  tone. 

"  You    may  try  it,  Phil,"  replied    Mr.  Jackson. 

Morgan  and  I  made  a  pile  of  boards  eight  feet 
long,  three  feet  wide,  and  three  feet  high.  We 
were  careful  to  "  break  joints  "  in  laying  up  the 
pile,  and  it  was  a  compact  mass  when  finished. 
We  started  it  for  the  river,  on  the  rollers. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        247 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL;S    RECONSTRUCTION   PLAN   IS   FULLY 
SET    FORTH. 

IN  moving  the  pile  of  lumber  to  the  river,  we 
followed  the  path  chosen  for  the  piano  box,  and 
as  the  road  was  all  ready,  there  was  no  delay.  Mor 
gan  superintended  its  progress,  having  three  men 
to  assist  him.  Another  pile  was  immediately  made 
at  the  site  of  the  house,  and  started  on  its  way  with 
four  men  to  handle  it.  A  third  and  a  fourth  were 
piled  up,  and  by  the  time  the  last  was  ready,  the 
first  had  arrived  at  its  destination.  Slowly  as  the 
masses  of  lunber  were  moved,  the  transportation 
was  effected  much  sooner,  and  certainly  with  less 
labor,  than  the  building  could  have  been  carried 
down  by  the  soldiers. 

As  soon  as  the  last  pile  had  been  started,  the 
lieutenant  and  myself  went  down  to  the  water.  We 
had  placed  the  dozen  logs,  intended  for  the  founda- 


248  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

tion  of  the  raft,  in  the  right  place,  where  there  was 
water  enough  to  float  the  structure  after  it  was 
built,  and  the  heavy  piano  had  been  placed  near  it. 
When  the  second  pile  of  lumber  arrived,  the  officer 
ordered  the  men  who  had  come  with  it  to  prepare 
the  timbers.  They  were  placed  about  a  foot  apart, 
and  secured  by  nailing  boards  across  them.  By 
the  time  the  foundation  was  completed,  the  rest  of 
the  lumber  was  on  the  spot,  and  all  our  force  were 
ready  for  the  work. 

The  frame  of  the  house  was  laid  upon  the  logs, 
and  then  the  boards  were  placed  upon  them,  alter 
nate  layers  crossing  each  other,  so  as  to  bind  the 
whole  firmly  together.  The  raft,  when  completed, 
was  twenty-four  feet  long,  and  fifteen  wide.  The 
most  difficult  task  was  yet  to  be  performed  —  the 
loading  of  the  grand  piano.  We  found  it  neces 
sary  to  remove  the  raft  to  a  place  where  the  bank 
was  more  shelving,  so  that  the  shore  side  of  the 
structure  would  rest  on  the  ground,  because  the 
weight  of  the  piano  on  one  side  would  cant  it  over 
so  that  we  could  not  work. 

For  skids  we  laid  down  a  couple  of  smooth,  water- 
soaked  sticks  of  timber,  sliding  the  piano  box  upon 
them  down  to  the  raft.  As  soon  as  the  heavy  body 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A    FARMER.  249 

was  on  the  raft,  the  side  which  floated  settled  down 
before  the  box  had  reached  the  middle  of  the  plat 
form.  The  raft  was  gradually  pried  oft'  the  shore 
with  levers,  and  as  it  came  to  a  level,  the  box  was 
moved  farther  upon  it,  till  it  had  been  placed  in  the 
centre.  Then  the  structure  floated  in  all  its  parts, 
and  I  was  glad  to  see  that  its  equilibrium  had  been 
correctly  calculated.  The  piano  was  not  a  heavy 
load  for  the  raft,  for  it  floated  well  out  of  water, 
and  had  buoyancy  enough  to  sustain  the  weight 
of  a  dozen  men. 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  that  wounded  Indian, 
Phil?  "  asked  Mr.  Jackson,  when  we  had  completed 
the  loading  of  the  box.  "  He  will  starve  to  death 
in  time,  if  we  leave  him  here." 

"We  must  take  him  with  us,  of  course,"  I  replied. 
''•  There  are  a  great  many  things  at  the  house  to 
bring  down." 

The  lieutenant  sent  his  men  back,  and  we  fol 
lowed  them.  The  wheelbarrow  was  loaded  with 
small  articles,  and  each  took  all  he  could  carry. 
They  were  sent  down  to  the  raft,  and  directed  to 
return.  While  they  were  absent,  we  talked  with 
the  wounded  Indian,  who  had  been  observing  all 
our  movements  with  apparent  interest.  Though  he 


250  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 

was  in  a  high  fever,  and  must  have  suffered 
severely  from  his  injuries,  he  exhibited  no  signs  of 
pain  in  our  presence.  I  told  him  that  we  would 
take  good  care  of  him  till  he  was  well,  and  that  we 
must  convey  him  to  the  clearing,  where  the  sur 
geon  of  the  troops  would  attend  to  him. 

"  No  hang  me  — kill  me  ?  "  he  said,  with  a  smile. 

"  No  ;  that  is  not  the  way  the  Christians  serve 
their  enemies,"  added  Mr.  Jackson.  "  We  feed 
them,  and  cure  them  if  they  are  sick  or  wounded." 

"  Why  did  you  attack  us,  and  murder  one  of 
us  ?  "  I  asked.  "  We  have  been  friends." 

"  Indian  come  back  and  say  white  man  kill  chief. 
Must  kill  white  man  then." 

It  was  the  ancient  philosophy  of  the  Indians,  that 
one  injury  must  be  repaid  by  another ;  but  he  en 
tirely  ignored  the  fact  that  the  savages  had  been 
the  aggressors.  1  told  him  of  the  battle  of  the  day 
before  ;  that  his  people  had  been  routed  with  severe 
loss,  and  that  they  had  fled  to  their  reservation. 

"  Smoke  pipe  now ;  no  fight  again ;  peace 
always,"  said  he. 

"  I  hope  so,"  I  added. 

"  Me  no  fight.     Me  white  man  friend.     Hunt  for 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        251 

white  man,  work  for  white  man,  fight  for  white 
man  ;  good  friend  always." 

I  think  he  was  grateful  for  the  favor  extended  to 
him.  When  the  soldiers  came  back  from  the  raft, 
four  of  them  were  directed  to  convey  the  camp  bed 
stead  on  which  the  Indian  lay  to  the  river,  and  the 
rest  carried  down  the  remainder  of  Mr.  Grace- 
wood's  goods.  We  walked  down  to  the  lower  end 
of  the  island  with  the  bearers  of  the  bedstead.  It 
was  placed  on  the  raft,  and  the  other  articles  were 
stowed  so  as  to  preserve  the  balance  of  the  struc 
ture. 

"  We  are  ready  for  a  start,"  said  Morgan.  "  But 
we  ought  to  have  a  steamboat  to  tow  the  thing 
down." 

"  I  think  we  have  men  enough  to  handle  it,"  I  re 
plied.  "  It  is  almost  night,  and  we  must  hurry  up, 
though  it  will  not  take  us  long  after  we  get  started." 

Two  of  our  boats  were  bateaux,  and  the  other 
was  Mr.  Gracewood's  barge.  Two  men  were  placed 
in  each,  and  the  others  upon  the  raft.  I  sat  in  the 
stern  of  the  barge  to  tend  the  drag-rope.  Mr. 
Jackson  was  in  one  of  the  bateaux.  The  lines  were 
cast  off,  and  the  men,  with  their  setting-poles, 
pushed  the  raft  from  the  shore.  The  current  soon 


252  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

acted  upon  it,  carrying  it  over  towards  the  north 
side  of  the  river.  We  followed  the  course  taken  by 
the  raft  on  which  we  had  transported  the  twelve- 
pounder  ;  and,  profiting  by  the  experience  gained 
in  that  enterprise,  we  guided  our  huge  structure 
safely  to  the  landing  at  the  mouth  of  Fish  River. 
We  landed  our  check-lines  in  season  this  time,  and 
everything  worked  entirely  to  our  satisfaction.  It 
was  nearly  dark  now,  and  we  moored  the  raft  to  the 
shore  for  the  night.  The  bed  of  the  wounded  In 
dian  was  removed  to  the  shanty,  and  the  surgeon 
sent  for. 

The  lieutenant  and  myself  went  to  the  Castle  to 
report  progress,  while  the  soldiers  sought  their 
camp.  Mr.  Gracewood  staid  in  the  house  all  the 
time.  He  had  hardly  been  out  during  the  day.  He 
was  so  rejoiced  at  the  reunion  of  his  little  family 
that  he  was  not  willing  to  leave  his  loved  ones  even 
for  a  moment. 

11 1  hope  you  left  the  piano  where  it  will  be  safe 
on  the  island,  Phil  Farringford,"  said  Mr.  Grace- 
wood,  when  I  had.  told  him  we  had  brought  over 
the  house. 

"  No,  sir  ;  we  did  not." 

"Did  not?     You  know  I  love  that  instrument, 


THE    FORTUNES    OF    A    FARMER.  253 

and  I  hope,  before  the  summer  is  past,  to  hear 
Ella  play  upon  it." 

"Wo  brought  it  with  us,  sir,"  I  replied. 

"  Impossible  !  "  exclaimed  ho. 

"  It  is  on  the  raft  down  at  the  landing." 

"  Phil  is  quite  an  engineer,  and  is  entitled  to  all 
the  credit  of  its  removal,"  added  the  lieutenant, 
who  explained  the  means  by  which  the  piano 
had  been  moved  to  the  river,  and  floated  to  the 
landing. 

"  I  am  very  glad,  indeed,  that  you  have  brought 
it,  Phil.  We  shall  be  happy  here  this  summer 
now,"  said  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  Then  you  intend  to  stay  hero  this  summer." 

"  We  have  concluded  to  remain  as  long  as  Mrs. 
Gracewood  and  Ella  can  be  contented." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  will  not  be  long,"  I  added, 
glancing  at  Ella,  who  was  seated  on  Matt's  chest. 

"  I  am  sure  I  shall  be  very  happy  here  among 
such  good  friends,"  she  replied ;  and  I  could  not 
help  realizing  how  delighted  I  should  be  while  she 
was  at  the  clearing. 

"  I  will  help  you  carry  on  your  farm,  Phil," 
continued  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  We  shall  do  well,  I  know." 


254  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

I  felt  that  paradise  had  been  transported  from 
the  island  to  the  clearing,  while,  as  we  ate  our  sup 
per,  Ella  told  what  a  beautiful  place  it  was.  It  was 
so  much  pleasanter  than  the  boundless  prairies 
which  covered  the  greater  portion  of  the  country. 
It  seemed  as  if  civilization  had  been  transplanted 
to  my  field  and  forest  as  I  looked  upon  Mrs.  Grace- 
wood  and  her  daughter.  But  I  was  sad  when  I 
thought  that  the  time  must  come,  sooner  or  later, 
when  they  would  leave  me,  and  I  should  be  more 
desolate  and  lonely  than  ever  before. 

I  slept  in  the  barn  again  that  night ;  but  I  hoped 
Mr.  Grace  wood's  house  would  be  ready  for  the 
accommodation  of  his  family  by  the  next  even 
ing,  and  that  we  should  hear  the  melodious  tones 
of  the  grand  piano  by  the  following  day,  which 
would  be  Sunday.  Ella  was  rapidly  recovering 
from  the  fatigues  of  her  forced  journey  with  the 
Indians ;  and  1  pictured  to  myself  the  pleasure 
it  would  afford  me  to  walk  with  her  through  the 
forest,  and  sail  with  her  on  the  river.  When  I 
went  to  sleep,  I  dreamed  that  I  went  a  fishing 
with  her,  and  that  a  big  gray  trout  pulled  her  into 
the  water,  from  which,  of  course,  I  had  the  satis 
faction  of  rescuing  her. 


THE   FORTUNES    OP    A   FARMER.  255 

The  next  morning  Lieutenant  Pope  directed 
all  his  men  to  assist  in  the  erection  of  the  house. 
We  landed  the  big  box,  loaded  it  upon  the  wagon, 
and  hauled  it  up  to  the  site  which  had  been 
chosen  for  the  new  home  of  the  Gracewoods,  not 
a  hundred  feet  from  the  Castle.  While  a  portion 
of  the  troops  carted  the  lumber,  the  others  pre 
pared  the  foundation  of  the  house.  A  series  of 
posts  were  set  in  the  ground,  and  sawed  off  on  a 
level  about  a  foot  above  the  sod,  so  as  to  make 
the  lower  floor  dry  and  comfortable.  On  these 
were  laid  the  sills,  and  before  noon  the  building 
was  up  and  half  covered.  All  the  boards  and  tim 
bers  were  numbered,  and  so  many  men  made  quick 
work  of  it.  In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the 
last  board  had  been  screwed  on,  the  sides  of  the 
house  had  been  banked  and  sodded,  and  the  struc 
ture  was  ready  to  receive  the  furniture. 

Mr.  Gracewood  had  used  a  ladder  to  reach  the 
attic  where  he  slept ;  but  Mr.  Jackson  thought  he 
ought  to  have  stairs  for  his  wife  and  daughter. 
I  had  a  decided  taste  for  carpenter's  work,  and 
promised  to  build  them  as  soon  as  possible.  How 
ever,  Mrs.  Gracewood  and  Ella  thought  they 
should  like  the  ladder  better,  as  it  could  be  drawn 


256  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

up  after  them,  which  would  add  to  their"  safety  in 
case  the  Indians  should  be  troublesome  again. 

The  grand  piano  was  taken  from  the  box,  and 
put  in  the  front  room.  While  its  owner  was  tun 
ing  it,  I  put  up  a  couple  of  rude  box  bedsteads 
in  the  attic,  and  filled  them  with  clean  hay.  The 
cooking-stove  was  put  up  in  the  rear  apartment, 
and  the  whole  building  looked  as  though  it  had 
never  been  disturbed,  for  everything  had  been 
placed  as  it  was  on  the  island.  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  conducting  Ella  to  her  new  home,  where  we 
passed  a  very  pleasant  evening. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        257 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

IN   WHICH    PHIL    AND    HIS    FRIENDS    EXAMINE   THE 
CONTEXTS    OF    THE    CHEST. 

LIEUTENANTS  Pope  and  Jackson  were  of 
the  pleasant  party  in  the  reconstructed 
house.  Both  of  them  were  good  singers,  and  I 
experienced  a  new  sensation.  Ella  was  able  to 
sit  up  all  day  now,  and  she  and  her  mother  sang. 
To  the  accompaniment  of  the  grand  piano,  the 
party  sang  what  they  called  old  and  familiar  tunes. 
I  had  never  heard  anything  which  could  be  called 
singing  before,  and  I  was  more  delighted  than  I 
can  express.  The  instrument,  highly  as  I  had  ap 
preciated  it  before,  seemed  to  have  a  double 
power  and  a  double  melody. 

The  tunes  were  Old   Hundred,  Peterboro',  Ham 
burg,   and    others    like    them,    which   have    since 
become    familiar   to   me.      They    raised   my    soul 
from  earth  to  heaven,  and  inspired  me  with  new 
17 


258  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

love  and  new  hope.  I  had  read  some  of  the 
hymns  they  sang ;  but  their  musical  interpreta 
tion  gave  them  a  purer  and  loftier  sentiment  than 
their  words  could  convey.  Ella  sang  a  little  song 
alone ;  arid,  as  I  listened  to  her  sweet  voice,  1 
could  hardly  restrain  my  tears,  the  melody  was  so 
new  and  strange,  and  withal  so  heavenly.  \Vhat 
would  earth  be  if  men  and  women  could  not  sing ! 

It  was  a  gloomy  moment  to  me  when  the  party 
separated.  It  was  like  coming  down  from  heaven 
to  earth  when  the  music  ceased,  and  I  heard  only 
the  commonplace  sounds  which  were  familiar  to 
me.  I  left  the  house  with  the  two  officers ;  but  it 
was  still  early  in  the  evening,  and  I  invited  Mr. 
Jackson,  to  whom  I  had  become  much  attached, 
to  go  into  the  Castle  with  me.  He  had  taken  an 
interest  in  me  and  in  my  affairs,  and  I  wanted 
to  talk  with  him  about  the  great  world  I  had 
never  seen.  After  the  raptures  of  the  evening, 
I  could  not  help  shuddering  as  I  thought  of  the 
time  when  the  Gracewoods  would  return  to  their 
old  home  in  St.  Louis.  The  thought  of  a  separa 
tion  was  intolerable,  and  I  resolved  to  abandon 
Field  and  Forest  when  they  decided  to  go. 

"  Is  that  the  chest  of  which  you  spoke,  Phil  ?  " 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.        259 

said  Mr.  Jackson,  as  we  entered  the  Castle,  where 
a  bright  fire  of  pitch-wood  was  burning. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  it  has  not  been  opened  since  Matt 
Rockwood  was  buried,"  I  replied. 

"  Why  don't  you  open  it  ?  "  added  the  officer. 
It  may  afford  you  some  information  in  regard  to 
yourself." 

"  I  will  do  it  now,  if  you  please,  for  I  don't  like 
to  open  it  alone." 

"  Very  well ;  but  are  you  sure  there  is  no  key 
to  the  chest?" 

"  I  only  know  that  Matt  carried  the  key  in  his 
pocket,  and  I  suppose  it  was  buried  with  him." 

"  No,  it  wan't,"  said  Kit  Cruncher,  walking  in  at 
the  open  door.  "  Not  if  you  mean  the  key  to  that 
box." 

"  That  is  what  we  were  speaking  of,  Kit,"  I 
replied.  "  I  thought  you  had  gone  up  to  your 
cabin." 

"  I've  been,  and  got  back.  'Pears  like  them  In 
juns  is  comin'  down  ag'in.  They've  stole  all  my 
bacon." 

"  Probably  they  did  that  on  their  retreat,"  sug 
gested  the  lieutenant.  "  They  are  short  of  food, 
and  the  wounded  one  told  ine  they  were  going 


260  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

down  to  the  buffalo  country,  after  they  had  re 
venged  themselves  for  the  death  of  the  chief." 

"  I  cal'late  some  on  'em  is  in  the  woods  above 
hyer  now." 

"  Very  likely." 

"  It  mought  be,  but  I  hain't  seen  none.  I  want 
some  supper,  boy." 

"  You  shall  have  it,  Kit,"  I  replied.  "  We  have 
plenty  of  bacon,  and  Mrs.  Gracewood  made  some 
bread  to-day,  which  will  be  a  treat  to  you." 

I  went  to  the  store-room,  and  cut  off  a  large 
slice  of  bacon,  and  put  it  in  the  pan  on  the  fire. 
The  white  bread,  which  had  been  baked  in  the 
stove,  was  a  new  thing  at  the  Castle,  and  I  put  the 
loaf  on  the  table. 

"  What  was  you  talkin'  about  when  I  kirn 
in  ? "  asked  Kit,  while  he  was  waiting  for  his 
supper. 

"  We  were  talking  about  opening  this  chest," 
replied  Mr.  Jackson.  "  Perhaps  it  contains  some 
thing  which  will  help  Phil  to  find  who  his  parents 
were." 

"  I  know  it  do,"  added  Kit.  "  Leastwise,  there 
used  to  be,  for  I've  seen  the  traps  myself.  Matt 
Rockwood  didn't  want  to  hev  me  say  nothin'  to 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  261 

the  boy  about  'em,  for  the  old  man  sort  o'  doted 
on  that  boy,  and  was  afeard  o'  losin'  on  him." 

"  I  understood  you  to  say  that  the  key  of  the 
chest  was  not  buried  with  the  owner,"  said  the 
lieutenant. 

"  No ;  it  wan't.  I  took  it  off  on  him  myself. 
Hyer  it  is,"  replied  the  hunter,  handing  the  key 
to  the  officer.  "  I  don't  reckon  you'll  stop  hyer  a 
great  while  now,  boy." 

"  I  shall  stay  through  the  summer,  at  any  rate." 

11 1  see  the  house  from  the  island  has  been 
fetched  over  hyer.  I  cal'late  Mr.  Greasewood's 
folks  mean  to  stop  hyer  a  spell,  from  that." 

"  They  will  spend  the  summer  here ;  and  when 
they  go,  I  think  I  shall  go  too,"  I  answered. 

"  I  reckon,  boy,  from  what  I  know  on't,  that  you 
belong  to  a  good  family.  If  you  do,  your  bring-in' 
up  won't  be  no  disgrace  to  you.  I  don't  reckon 
there's  many  boys  in  the  towns  that  know  any 
more'n  you  do." 

"  What  makes  you  think  he  belongs  to  a  good 
family,  Kit  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  From  the  traps  he  had  on  when  Matt  picked 
him  up.  There  was  sunthin'  else,  too.  What  I 
was  go'n  to  say,  boy,  was  this :  I'm  gittiu'  old,  and 


262  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

can't  run  through  the  woods  as  I  used  to.  Twenty 
mile  a  day  rather  wears  on  me.  I  don't  reckon 
I  shall  do  much  more  trappin',  and  when  you  go, 
boy,  I'll  buy  your  place  at  a  fair  price." 

'•  You  needn't  buy  it,  Kit.  You  can  take  it.  I 
wish  you  would  come  down  and  live  with  me  now." 

"  Do  you  wish  so,  boy  ?  " 

"  I  do,  with  all  my  heart.  I  shouldn't  have  been 
alive  now  if  you  hadn't  stood  up  against  the  In 
dians  when  they  came." 

"  Don't  say  nothin',  boy ;  I'll  come  right  off. 
But  when  you  leave,  I'll  buy  the  place,  for  Matt 
owned  it  just  as  much  as  any  man  could  own  a 
piece  of  ground.  I  cal'late  he  took  out  the  gov- 
'ment  papers  for  it." 

"  You  shall  have  it  all,  Kit,  and  be  welcome  to 
it,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  I  persisted. 

"Had  Matt  any  heirs?" 

"He  had  a  brother,"  replied  Kit.  "I  don't 
reckon  he'll  come  up  hyer." 

"  Your  supper  is  ready,  Kit,"  I  added,  putting 
the  frying-pan  on  a  block  upon  the  table,  accord 
ing  to  our  usual  custom,  though  I  did  not  do  it 
while  the  ladies  were  my  guests. 

"  You  kin  open  the  box,  boy,"  said  Kit,  as  he 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        263 

sat  down  at  the  table,  and  helped  himself  out  of 
the  pan. 

Mr.  Jackson  unlocked  the  chest,  and  raised  the 
lid.  It  contained  a  very  great  variety  of  articles, 
including  a  tolerably  good  suit  of  clothes,  which 
I  had  never  seen  upon  the  person  of  the  old  man. 
1  took  these  out,  and  discovered  a  little  dress, 
musty  and  mildewed.  It  was  made  of  fine  ma 
terial,  and  was  elaborately  ornamented.  There 
was  a  complete  suit,  and  also  a  heavy  plaid 
shawl. 

"  You  was  tied  up.  in  that  blanket  when  Matt 
picked  you  up,"  said  Kit.  "  Look  in  the  till,  in 
the  end  of  the  box." 

I  opened  the  till,  and  found  there  a  locket,  at 
tached  to  a  string  of  beads.  There  was  also  a  pair 
of  coral  bracelets,  which  the  lieutenant  said  had 
been  used  to  loop  up  the  sleeves  of  the  child's 
dress  at  the  shoulders.  On  them  were  the  initials 
P.  F.,  which  were  certainly  the  first  letters  of  my 
present  name ;  but  I  concluded  that  Matt  had 
made  the  name  to  suit  the  initials.  Mr.  Jackson 
opened  the  locket,  and  found  it  contained  a  min 
iature  of  a  lady.  He  passed  it  to  me,  and  I  gazed 
at  it  with  a  thrill  of  emotion  ?  Was  it  my  mother 


264  FIELD    AND   FOREST,   OB 

who  looked  out  upon  me  from  the  porcelain?  Did 
she  perish  in  the  terrible  steamboat  calamity 
from  which  I  had  been  so  providentially  saved  ? 
I  carried  the  locket  to  the  fire,  where  I  could 
examine  more  minutely  the  features  of  the  person. 
It  was  the  portrait  of  a  lady  not  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.  If  she  was  not  handsome,  there 
was  something  inexpressibly  attractive  to  me  in 
the  gentle  look  of  love  and  tenderness  which  she 
seemed  to  bestow  upon  me. 

"  Do  you  think  this  is  my  mother,  Mr.  Jack 
son  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Of  course  I  know  nothing  about  it,  but  I 
should  suppose  it  was.  Whose  portrait  but  a 
mother's  would  a  little  child  be  likely  to  wear?" 

"It  mought  be,  and  it  mought  not  be,  boy," 
added  Kit. 

"It  must  be!"  I  exclaimed,  so  tenderly  im 
pressed  by  the  picture  that  I  was  not  willing  to 
believe  anything  else ;  and  I  felt  that  my  instinct 
was  guiding  me  aright. 

"  Let  us  see  what  else  there  is  in  the  chest," 
said  the  lieutenant.  "  We  may  find  something 
that  will  give  us  further  light  on  the  subject." 

I  placed   the   miniature    on  the   table,  and   re- 


THE  FORTUNES  OP  A  FARMER.       265 

turned  to  the  chest.  Mr.  Jackson  took  from  it 
an  old  time-stained  newspaper.  He  threw  it  upon 
the  floor,  as  a  matter  of  no  consequence  ;  but  I 
picked  it  up,  for  1  remembered  what  I  had  heard 
Matt  say  about  a  newspaper.  But  it  contained 
only  a  brief  paragraph,  and  alluded  to  another  and 
fuller  account  of  the  calamity  contained  in  a  pre 
vious  issue. 

There  was  nothing  else  in  the  chest  that  related 
to  me,  but  I  felt  that  I  had  enough.  Mr.  Jackson 
said  that,  if  I  ever  went  to  St.  Louis,  I  could  find 
a  file  of  the  newspaper  of  which  we  had  a  single 
copy,  and  could  find  the  number  containing  the 
names  of  the  saved  and  the  lost  at  the  burning  of 
the  Farringford.  The  portrait  would  enable  me 
to  identify  my  mother,  if  she  were  still  living, 
and  also  to  establish  my  own  identity. 

"  Here  is  Matt  Rockwood's  money,"  said  the 
lieutenant,  as  he  took  from  the  bottom  of  the  chest 
several  shot-bags. 

"  I  have  some  money  to  add  to  it,"  I  answered, 
taking  from  the  store-room  the  amount  I  had  re 
ceived  for  wood  since  the  death  of  my  foster- 
father. 

"  The   old    man   did   a   good    business   here,   I 


2G6  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

should  say,"  added  Mr.  Jackson,  as  lie  held  up 
the  bags  in  order  to  estimate  their  weight. 

"  We  had  better  count  the  gold." 

Counting  the  money  seemed  to  have  a  greater 
fascination  to  my  friend  the  officer  than  to  me. 
He  placed  the  coins  upon  the  table  in  piles  of 
one  hundred  dollars  each.  When  he  had  nearly 
finished,  I  counted  eight  of  them.  There  was 
not  enough,  even  with  the  silver,  to  make 
another,  and  the  whole  amount  was  eight  hun 
dred  and  ninety-one  dollars. 

"What  will  you  do  with  this  money,  Phil?" 
asked  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  I  don't  know ;   keep  it,  I  suppose." 

"  It  is  a  pity  to  let  it  lie  idle  here.  If  you  invest 
it,  you  will  have  double  this  amount  when  you 
are  of  age." 

"  I  can  only  invest  it  in  a  mud  bank  up  here,"  I 
replied.  "  But  we  have  nearly  a  hundred  cords 
of  wood  at  the  landing,  which  ought  to  bring 
about  four  hundred  dollars  more,  as  it  sells  this 
year.  A  great  many  steamers  come  up  here  now, 
and  I  think  we  shall  sell  it  all  this  season." 

"  Then  you  will  have  twelve  or  thirteen  hun 
dred  dollars.  If  Mr.  Gracewood  goes  to  St. 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        267 

Louis  this  fall,  I  advise  you  to  let  him  invest  it 
for  you." 

"  I  will,  sir.  Is  there  anything  else  in  the 
chest?" 

"  Here  are  papers  relating  to  Matt  Rockwood. 
There  are  names  upon  them,  and  if  you  desire, 
you  can  obtain  some  information  in  regard  to 
your  foster-father." 

I  did  not  care  to  look  at  the  papers ;  and  return 
ing  the  money  and  other  articles  to  the  chest,  I 
locked  it,  and  put  the  key  in  my  pocket.  Mr. 
Jackson  went  to  his  tent,  and  Kit  and  I  slept 
together  in  the  Castle.  The  picture  of  my 
mother,  as  I  insisted  upon  believing  it  was, 
seemed  to  be  before  mo ;  and  I  gazed  upon  it 
in  imagination  till  sleep  shut  it  out  from  my 
view. 


268  FIELD   AND   FOREST,  OR 


CHAPTER  XXV.  . 

IN   WHICH   PHIL    ATTENDS    TO    THE    AFFAIRS    OF   THE 
FARM. 

THE  Sabbath  sun  rose  bright  and  beautiful, 
and  shed  its  hallowed  light  upon  field 
and  forest.  Sunday  had  always  been  a  day  of 
rest  at  the  clearing  since  the  coming  of  Mr. 
Gracewood.  Matt  Rockwood  and  I  used  to  spend 
the  day  at  the  island  when  the  weather  would 
permit  us  to  go  there.  The  recluse,  on  these 
occasions,  invariably  read  several  chapters  of  the 
Bible  to  us,  explaining  the  meaning  of  the  verses 
as  he  proceeded,  when  necessary.  After  this 
he  read  a  sermon,  or  a  portion  of  some  religious 
book. 

This  had  been  our  Sunday  routine  for  the  last 
three  years ;  and  Mr.  Gracewood  told  Matt  and 
me  that  his  religious  experience  dated  no  farther 
back  than  this  period.  He  declared  that  he  was 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.       269 

really  worried  about  mo,  a  child  of  eight,  who 
had  received  no  religious  training.  As  my  edu 
cation  had  fallen  to  him,  his  conscience  troubled 
him  because  he  confined  his  instruction  to  secular 
branches.  He  did  not  feel  competent  to  instruct 
me  in  sacred  things ;  but  he  had  devoted  himself 
to  a  study  of  the  Bible  for  my  sake,  that  he  might 
be  able  to  teach  me.  His  stock  of  religious  books 
was  very  small,  but  he  had  sent  to  St.  Louis  for 
a  new  supply. 

The  study  of  the  Bible,  which  he  pursued 
with  maps,  commentary,  and  Bible  dictionary,  soon 
became  very  interesting  to  him.  It  awakened  in 
his  mind  a  new  spirit,  and  kindled  emotions  which 
before  had  been  foreign  to  him.  He  was  an 
earnest  teacher,  while  he  was  an  inquiring 
student.  The  course  of  study  which  he  had 
undertaken  for  my  sake  had  been  even  a  greater 
blessing  to  himself  than  to  me,  though  I  am  sure 
1  profited  by  his  instructions.  After  we  had 
studied  together  for  a  year,  a  prayer  was  added 
to  our  Sunday  exercises.  Mr.  Gracewood  told 
us  that  he  prayed  morning  and  evening,  and 
begged  us  to  do  the  same.  Sometimes  Kit 
Cruncher  came  down  and  joined  our  little  class. 


270  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OB 

On  these  occasions,  which  were  always  very 
pleasant  to  me,  the  grand  piano  gave  forth  its 
deepest  and  most  solemn  tones.  Mr.  Gracewood 
played  only  sacred  music  on  the  Sabbath ;  and  he 
performed  the  pieces  with  so  much  interest  and 
feeling,  that  we  were  always  moved  by  them. 
ile  never  sang,  declaring  that  his  voice  was  not 
adapted  to  singing. 

With  this  knowledge  of  Mr.  Gracewood's  re 
ligious  views  and  feelings,  I  was  not  surprised 
when  Ella  told  me,  after  breakfast,  that  her  father 
would  have  a  service  at  his  house  in  the  forenoon 
and  in  the  afternoon.  All  the  soldiers  were  in 
vited,  and  all  of  them  carne.  The  familiar  hymn, 
"  The  morning  light  is  breaking,"  was  sung  first, 
and  was  followed  by  a  prayer,  and  the  reading  of 
a  chapter  from  the  New  Testament.  The  beautiful 
hymn,  — 

"  When  all  thy  mercies,  0  ray  God, 

My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view,  I'm  lost 
In  wonder,  love,  and  praise,"  — 

was  then  sung.  Many  of  the  soldiers  joined,  and 
I  was  almost  carried  away  by  the  strange  effect, 
at  once  so  melodious  and  so  inspiring.  The  words 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        271 

of  the  hymn  had  a  peculiar  fitness /  for  the  occa 
sion,  after  we  had  been  spared  from  the  ven 
geance  of  the  savages.  Mr.  Grace  wood  read  each 
verse  before  it  was  sung,  so  as  to  recall  the  words 
to  the  audience.  After  the  singing,  he  read  a 
sermon  appropriate  to  the  circumstances  of  the 
family.  At  the  end  of  it  he  spoke  of  Matt  Rock- 
wood,  and  paid  a  very  pleasant  tribute  to  his 
memory. 

In  the  afternoon  we  attended  another  service. 
That  Sunday  was  a  holy  day  to  me,  and  the  sing 
ing  had  opened  a  new  avenue  of  inspiration  to 
me.  In  the  evening  Ella  told  me  about  her  Sun 
day  school  in  St.  Louis,  and  I  listened  to  her  de 
scription  with  intense  interest.  I  wished  that 
I  could  attend  one,  hear  the  children  sing,  and 
receive  the  instructions  of  kind  teachers.  I  was 
astonished  when  she  told  me  that  many  young 
people  did  not  go  to  the  Sunday  school,  though 
all  were  invited  to  do  so.  I  could  not  understand 
how  any  were  willing  to  forego  such  a  blessed 
privilege. 

Early  on  Monday  morning  the  troops  marched 
for  the  Indian  country  at  the  north  of  us.  I  loaned 
them  the  wagon  and  horses  to  convey  their  bag- 


272  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

gage,  and  Kit  Cruncher  went  as  guide.  I  saw 
the  column  disappear  in  the  forest.  By  this  time 
Ella  was  able  to  walk  about  on  the  farm,  and  I  de 
rived  great  pleasure  from  the  excursions  I  made 
with  her  about  the  clearing.  I  pulled  up  Little 
Fish  River  with  her  in  the  barge,  and  showed 
her  where  the  battle  with  the  Indians  had  oc 
curred.  We  landed,  examined  the  breastwork, 
and  visited  the  mound  which  marked  the  burial- 
place  of  the  savages  who  had  fallen  in  the 
affray. 

Later  in'  the  week  I  rowed  up  to  Fish  Rapids, 
and  showed  her  how  to  catch  a  trout.  She  tried 
her  hand,  and  soon  hooked  a  two-pounder,  which 
would  have  realized  rny  dream  about  her,  if  I 
had  not  taken  the  line  in  my  own  hands.  We 
caught  half  a  dozen,  and  returned  to  the  clear 
ing.  This  kind  of  life  was  delightful  to  my 
fair  young  companion,  and,  with  her,  it  was 
equally  so  to  me.  She  seemed  to  have  inher 
ited  something  of  her  father's  fondness  for  the 
sports  of  the  wilderness  and  the  prairie. 

On  Saturday  the  troops  arrived  from  their 
march  to  the  Indian  region.  Lieutenant  Pope  had 
met  some  of  the  principal  chiefs,  had  listened  to 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  273 

their  grievances,- — for  they  always  have  some, — 
and  had  promised  to  redress  them.  They  had 
smoked  the  pipe  of  peace  together,  and  the  "  big 
Indians  "  had  assured  him  that  they  would  keep 
their  word.  After  the  severe  lesson  which  had 
been  administered,  they  were,  doubtless,  glad 
enough  to  make  peace  on  these  easy  terms. 
During  the  rest  of  my  stay  at  the  Castle, 
they  gave  us  no  trouble.  Though  they  came 
down  occasionally  to  the  landing,  they  were 
always  peaceable  and  friendly.  We  took  care 
of  the  wounded  Indian  at  the  shanty  till  he  was 
able  to  return  to  his  people,  and  he  left  us 
filled  with  gratitude.  Three  months  after,  he 
brought  us  in  his  canoe,  down  Crooked  River, 
three  antelopes,  which  he  had  shot  in  the  re 
gion  above  us,  for  much  of  the  best  game  had 
abandoned  the  vicinity  of  our  settlement. 

The  soldiers  remained  a  week  at  the  landing, 
waiting  for  a  steamer  to  convey  them  up  to  the 
fort.  At  the  end  of  that  time  they  departed. 
1  had  several  long  talks  with  Lieutenant  Jack 
son,  who  gave  me  much  good  advice  in  regard 
to  the  future  course  he  thought  I  ought  to  pur 
sue  ;  and  when  he  left  I  felt  that  I  had  parted 
18 


274  FIELD   AND    FOREST,   OR 

with  a  true  friend.  To  the  steamer  which  con- 
veyed  the  soldiers  up  the  river,  I  sold  twenty 
cords  of  wood,  and  added  eighty  dollars  to  the 
gold  in  the  chest. 

Mrs.  Gracewood  insisted  that  Kit  and  myself 
should  take  our  meals  at  the  house,  instead  of 
keeping  up  a  separate  mess.  Her  husband  had 
purchased  a  supply  of  table  ware  of  the  steamer 
which  had  just  left,  and  we  found  ourselves 
quite  civilized.  The  old  hunter  was  rather  em 
barrassed  and  awkward,  for  he  had  always  been 
in  the  habit  of  eating  his  bacon  out  of  the  pan 
in  which  it  had  been  cooked ;  but  he  soon  ac 
customed  himself  to  the  new  order  of  things, 
though  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  be  very 
graceful  at  the  table,  or  anywhere  else. 

As  the  season  advanced  we  ploughed  and 
planted  the  field.  With  Mr.  Gracewood,  who  in 
sisted  upon  doing  his  full  share  of  the  labor, 
and  Kit  to  help  me,  the  task  was  not  so  hard 
as  it  had  been.  We  planted  a  large  piece  of 
ground  with  corn,  potatoes,  and  vegetables,  and 
by  the  middle  of  June,  everything  was  up,  and 
looked  finely.  The  rich  soil  and  the  southern 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        275 

elope  were  favorable  to  our  crops,  and  we  had 
abundant  promises  of  a  rich  harvest. 

During  the  preceding  year  there  had  been 
an  immense  emigration  from  the  eastern  states. 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  were  in  rapid  progress  of 
settlement,  and  during  the  season  which  followed 
the  events  I  have  described,  the  wave  of  civil 
ization  had  almost  touched  the  Castle.  We  were 
not  out  of  the  reach  nor  out  of  the  influence 
of  this  tide  of  emigration.  Twice  as  many  steam 
boats  went  up  the  river,  carrying  emigrants 
and  goods  on  their  way  to  Oregon.  In  July  I 
h'ad  sold  all  my  wood,  and  after  haying  we  went 
to  work  in  the  forest  to  obtain  a  new  supply. 
By  September  the  hot  sun  of  our  southern 
slope  had  rendered  it  fit  for  steamboat  use.  In 
the  mean  time,  we  managed  to  obtain  a  supply 
of  dry  wood  sufficient  to  meet  the  demand,  by 
obtaining  a  double-handed  saw,  and  cutting  up 
the  logs  arid  drift-wood  brought  down  by  the 
rivers. 

During  the  season  we  sold  wood  to  the 
amount  of  seven  hundred  dollars,  which  was 
equally  divided  between  Kit  and  me,  for  Mr. 
Gracewood  refused  his  share.  We  all  worked 


276  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

hard,  but  we  were  very  happy.  Mrs.  Grace- 
wood,  lady  as  she  was  in  the  city,  was  busy 
all  the  time,  and  even  Ella  declared  that  she 
found  a  new  delight  in  working.  I  ought  to 
say  that,  after  our  corn  and  potatoes  were  planted, 
all  the  rest  of  the  work  in  the  field  was  done 
with  the  horses.  We  planted  in  hills,  and  cov 
ered  with  the  plough.  The  first  weeding  was 
done  with  the  cultivator,  and  in  the  light  al 
luvial  soil  of  the  clearing  it  was  easy  work 
even  for  a  boy  like  me  to  use  it  alone.  Fire 
fly  was  well  trained,  and  understood  his  busi 
ness  perfectly. 

At  the  second  weeding,  I  ran  the  cultivator 
through  the  long  rows  and  the  cross  rows,  and 
then,  with  the  small  plough,  threw  the  soil 
up  against  the  plants.  We  did  not  use  a  hoe 
except  in  the  vegetable  garden.  We  got  along 
so  well  that  I  was  only  sorry  we  had  not  planted 
twice  as  many  acres. 

September  and  October  were  busy  months  to 
us ;  but  we  revelled  in  the  joys  of  a  plentiful 
harvest.  Three  hundred  bushels  of  corn,  and 
four  hundred  of  potatoes,  rewarded  our  toil,  be 
sides  more  than  we  could  use  of  garden  vege- 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.       277 

tables.  This  was  three  times  as  much  as  we  had 
ever  raised  in  a  season  before,  and  we  had  not 
room  for  it  in  our  barn  and  storehouse.  We  could 
not  use  a  quarter  of  the  potatoes,  even  if  we  all 
remained  at  the  farm  through  winter.  We  offered 
them  for  sale  to  the  steamers  and  traders,  and  sold 
three  hundred  bushels  to  a  speculator,  who  doubled 
his  money  on  them  at  a  settlement,  where  the  peo 
ple  had  come  too  late  to  make  a  crop  that  season. 

The  cool  weather  was  coming,  and,  after  we  had 
slaughtered  our  pigs,  the  hard  work  of  the  season 
was  over.  The  Gracewoods  had  decided  not  to 
remain  over  winter,  and  I  could  riot  think  of  part 
ing  with  them.  I  was  determined  to  see  the 
world.  I  heard  so  much  of  the  country  below 
that  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  visit  it. 
I  stated  my  intention  to  Kit  Cruncher  and  the 
Gracewoods.  None  of  them  offered  any  objections, 
not  even  the  hunter,  who  was  to  be  left  alone. 


278  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OB 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


IN   WHICH    PHIL,    WITH    HIS    FORTUNE    AS    A    FARMER, 
BIDS    FAREWELL   TO    FIELD    AND    FOREST. 


"  r  I  THIS   place   is  wuth   money,  boy,"  said  Kit 

JL  Cruncher,  when  I  had  told  him  what  I 
intended  to  do. 

"  The  more  it  is  worth,  the  better  it  will  be  for 
you,  Kit,"  I  replied. 

"  I'm  willin'  to  pay  for  the   place  and  the  im 
provements.     I've    made  well    on  it  this   year  — 
more'n  ever  I  could  trappin'.     Then,  you  see,  the 
settlements   is  workin'  up  this  way,  and  another 
year  I  shall  hev  'em  all  round  me." 

"All  right;  hope  you'll  make  your  fortune,  Kit." 

"  But  I  want  to  buy  you  out." 

"  I  don't  think  I  have  any  rights  here  which  I 
can  sell.  You  are  welcome  to  everything  that 
belongs  to  me.  But  I  Avill  leave  the  whole  matter 
to  Mr.  Gracewood.  I  know  he  will  do  what  is  fair." 

"Just  as  you  say,  Phil.  This  life  jest  suits  me, 
now  I'm  gittiri'  old,  and  don't  want  to  tramp 


THE   FORTUNES    OF   A    FARMER.  279 

through  the  woods  no  more.  It's  a  good  sitooation 
for  me.  and  I  shall  be  lucky  to  get  it  at  any  fair 
price.  I  shan't  want  it  long,  and  when  I've  done 
with  it,  you  kin  hev  it  agin,  for  I  hain't  no  rela 
tions  to  fight  over  what  I  leave  behind  me." 

"  How  long  have  you  lived  in  the  woods,  Kit?" 
I  asked :  for,  though  I  had  known  him  from  my 
childhood,  1  had  no  knowledge  of  his  antecedents. 

"  Nigh  on  to  thirty  years,  boy." 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  I  was  born  and  raised  down  in  Kaintuck.  My 
father  died  when  I  was  young,  and  I  took  to  the 
river  for  a  livin'.  I  worked  a  choppin',  a  flat  boat- 
in',  and  firm'  on  a  steamboat.  I  was  down  in  Loo- 
siana  one  time,  on  a  plantation,  when  the  owner's 
cub  —  and  he  war  wus  nor  any  bar's  cub  I  ever 
see  —  tied  up  a  black  woman  who  had  been  sick, 
because  she  didn't  do  all  her  stent.  He  wanted 
me  to  lick  her.  I  told  him  I  wouldn't  do  it,  no 
how.  This  made  him  mad,  and  he  struck  me. 
1  knocked  him  down  with  my  fist  quicker'n  you 
could  wink.  He  got  up,  and  kim  at  me  with  a 
knife.  I  hit  him  with  a  heavy  stick  on  the  head. 
He  dropped,  and  didn't  move  no  more." 

"  Did  you  kill  him  ?  "  I  asked,  deeply  interested 
in  the  narrative. 


280  FIELD   AND   FOREST,   OR 

'•'  I  dunno ;  I  don't  reckon  I  did.  But  I  feared 
I  lied  ;  but  whether  I  hed  or  not,  it  would  have 
been  all  the  same  with  me.  It  monght  have 
cost  me  my  life  if  they'd  cotched  me,  and  I  left.  I 
travelled  across  the  country  till  I  came  to  the 
Ark'saw  River,  and  thar  I  went  to  work  agin  firm' 
on  a  steamer.  When  I  got  money  enough  I 
bought  my  rifle,  and  traps,  and  went  into  the 
woods.  I  hev  tramped  all  over  the  pararies,  and 
in  the  end  I  fotched  up  here." 

"  Have  you  always  lived  alone  ?  " 

"  Allns;  I  hedn't  no  'fection  for  them  pesky  half 
breeds,  nor  them  French  Kanucks  nuther.  They 
are  thick  enough  all  along  the  river,  and  I  allus 
kep  away  from  'em.  I  reckon  I  got  more  buf  ler 
hides  nor  any  on  'em  ;  but  the  critters  is  druv  off 
now.  I  sold  a  good  many  skins  of  all  sorts,  and  as 
I  never  drunk  no  liquor,  I've  got  the  money  now. 
I  fotched  it  down  with  me  t'other  day." 

"  Shall  you  ever  return  to  Kentucky  ?  " 

"  I  don't  reckon  I  shall ;  but  I  mought." 

"  What  became  of  your  mother  ?  " 

"  She  died  long  afore  I  kim  off.  Now,  boy,  I  kin 
live  jest  as  I  want  to  here,  and  I'll  buy  your  farm." 

"  We  will  talk  with  Mr.  Grace  wood  about  it.  I 
will  do  whatever  he  says  is  right." 


THE   FORTUNES   OF    A    FARMER.  281 

My  fortunes  as  a  farmer  were  certainly  very 
satisfactory,  and  I  had  no  reason  to  complain.  I 
was  to  leave  my  Field  and  Forest  with  about  fif 
teen  hundred  dollars  in  my  pocket;  and  I  could 
not  but  ask  myself  whether  I  was  not  going  from 
a  certainty  to  an  uncertainty.  Farming,  in  connec 
tion  with  the  wood  business,  had  paid  well.  But 
then  1  wanted  to  see  something  of  the  great  world, 
of  which  I  had  heard  so  much.  I  had  a  decided  taste 
for  some  mechanical  calling,  and  I  was  sure  that  I 
could  make  my  way  in  life  if  I  had  fair  play.  Yet,  if 
my  prospects  had  been  far  less  favorable,  I  could  not 
have  endured  the  separation  from  the  Gracewoods. 

Leaving  Kit  in  the  Castle,  thinking  over  his 
future  operations,  I  went  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Gracewood,  in  order  to  consult  him  in  regard  to 
the  disposal  of  the  farm.  1  found  him  with  his  pipe 
in  his  mouth,  playing  on  the  grand  piano,  and  lost  in 
the  inspiration  of  the  "  Gloria."  I  could  not  inter 
rupt  him,  and  I  waited  till  he  had  finished,  which, 
however,  was  not  till  his  pipe  was  exhausted. 

"  Phil,  I  must  take  this  piano  with  me ;  but  we 
have  not  force  enough  to  put  it  in  the  box." 

"  I  think  we  have,  sir,"  I  replied.  "  If  you  say  it 
must  go,  it  shall  be  at  the  landing  when  the 
steamer  comes  down.'7 


282  FIELD    AND    FOREST,   OR 

"  Two  men  and  a  boy  cannot  put  it  into  the  box, 
to  say  nothing  of  loading  it  upon  the  wagon." 

"  I  think  we  can,  sir,  if  we  have  time  enough  ; 
for,  as  you  taught  me,  what  is  gained  in  power  is 
lost  in  time.  1  will  take  the  job,  sir." 

"  You  are  very  confident,  Phil  Farringford," 
added  Mr.  Gracewood,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  got  up  the  plan  by  which  we  brought  it  over 
here  from  the  island." 

"  But  you  had  a  dozen  men  to  lift  it  up  and  put 
it  in  the  box." 

"  As  we  haven't  a  dozen  now,  we  can  do  it  with 
two  men  and  a  boy,  if  we  have  time.  The  next 
boat  will  not  come  down  for  a  week.  But  I 
wanted  to  see  you  about  another  matter.  Kit 
wants  to  buy  the  farm  of  me,  and  I  don't  think  I 
own  it.  We  left  the  decision  to  you." 

"  Legally,  you  have  no  rights  here." 

"  That  is  what  I  said." 

"  If  Matt  Rockwood  has  any  heirs,  they  can  ob 
tain  whatever  legal  rights  he  had  in  the  premises." 

"  Matt  owns  the  quarter  .section,  as  an  actual 
settler.  I  found  the  paper  signed  by  a  land 
agent." 

"  Then  his  heirs,  if  he  has  any,  can  claim  it,  as 
well  as  all  his  property." 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        283 

"  Then  you  think  I  have  no  right  to  the  money 
found  in  Matt's  chest  ?  " 

"  So  long  as  no  heirs  appear,  I  think  you  have  a 
moral  right  to  keep  it." 

"  Then  Kit  can  have  the  place." 

"  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  right  for  you  to  sell 
it.  You  cannot  give  him  a  legal  title  to  it.  But 
it  is  right  for  him  to  pay  you  for  your  share  of  the 
produce  now  on  the  place." 

This  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  fair  and  just  decision, 
and  I  repeated  it  to  Kit,  who  was,  of  course,  en 
tirely  satisfied.  It  was  agreed  that  he  should  pay 
me  one  hundred  dollars  for  my  share,  and  the  busi 
ness  was  completed.  Mr.  Gracewood  presented 
him,  as  a  free  gift,  the  house  and  all  it  contained, 
except  the  piano,  books,  and  other  articles  which 
were  strictly  personal.  The  barge  was  included 
in  the  gift,  and  Kit  suddenly  became  a  rich  man, 
in  his  own  estimation. 

In  a  box,  which  Mr.  Gracewood  gave  me,  I 
packed  up  all  the  articles  I  intended  to  take  with 
me,  including  the  child's  suit  and  some  of  Matt's 
papers.  My  money,  except  a  reasonable  sum  for 
expenses,  I  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Gracewood, 
who  gave  me  a  note  fur  the  amount.  I  meant  to 
take  my  rifle  with  me,  as  a  memorial  of  my  life  in 


284  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

the  woods.  As  Kit  took  care  of  the  horses  and 
pigs  now,  I  had  a  great  deal  of  time  for  idle  dream 
ing.  I  went  to  all  the  familiar  localities  in  the 
vicinity  with  Ella.  While  I  was  sad  at  the 
thought  of  leaving  the  haunts  of  my  childhood,  I 
was  excited  by  the  prospect  of  seeing  new  and 
strange  sights.  A  new  life  seemed  to  be  opening 
upon  me,  and  the  indefinite  wonders  of  the  civil 
ized  world  flitted  wildly  through  my  mind. 

"  Well,  Phil  Farringford,  if  we  are  going  to 
move  the  piano,  it  is  about  time  to  begin,"  said 
Mr.  Gracewood,  one  morning. 

"  I  am  all  ready,  sir." 

"  I  do  not  yet  see  how  it  is  to  be  done ;  but  I 
will  leave  the  job  to  you." 

"  We  shall  be  obliged  to  take  down  a  part  of  the 
house  —  one  end  and  a  portion  of  the  floor." 

"  That  can  very  easily  be  done." 

I  sawed  four  cotton-wood  sticks  so  that  they 
would  just  reach  from  the  ground  to  the  timbers  of 
the  attic  floor.  We  placed  them  in  position  to  sup 
port  the  frame  above,  which  was  to  bear  the  weight 
of  the  piano  during  the  process  of  loading  it  upon 
the  wagon.  I  then  placed  a  couple  of  hewn  sticks 
across  the  attic  floor,  after  removing  the  boards. 
Two  stout  ropes  were  then  passed  around  the  piano 


THE   FORTUNES   OF   A   FARMER.  285 

and  over  these  sticks,  drawn  tight.  The  piano-case 
was  protected  from  chafing  by  a  couple  of  blankets. 

Kit  and  I  then  went  into  the  attic,  and  with  a 
lot  of  wedges  I  had  made,  proceeded  to  raise  the 
two  hewn  timbers,  over  which  the  rope  passed. 
We  drove  the  wedges  between  the  sticks  and  the 
timbers  of  the  frame.  As  fast  as  we  gained  an 
inch,  we  put  a  board  under,  upon  which  we  drove 
another  series  of  wedges.  The  process  was  slow 
but  it  was  sure,  arid  in  time  the  piano  beloAv  hung 
suspended  clear  of  the  floor. 

"  That's  all  very  good,  so  far,  Phil  Farringford," 
laughed  Mr.  Gracewood. 

"  Is  it  clear  of  the  floor,  sir  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  all  clear." 

"  Then  we  will  take  off  the  legs." 

When  this  task  was  accomplished,  we  took  up 
the  floor  and  joists  under  the  instrument,  and  re 
moved  the  sill  on  the  end  of  the  house.  Of  course 
we  had  to  take  out  the  studs  below  the  plate  ;  but 
the  posts  I  had  put  in  were  amply  sufficient  to 
support  the  frame.  We  levelled  down  the  banking 
so  as  to  form  a  smooth  road  to  the  ground  beneath 
the  piano.  I  then  carefully  measured  the  distance 
from  the  bottom  of  the  piano  to  the  earth.  It  was 
four  feet  and  one  inch,  while  the  body  of  the 


286  FIELD    AND    FOREST,    OR 

wagon,  which  I  intended  to  back  under  the  instru 
ment,  was  only  two  feet  and  a  half  high.  We  laid 
down  some  logs  crosswise,  upon  which  we  placed 
a  track  of  boards  for  the  wheels  of  the  wagon. 
The  vehicle  was  then  backed  beneath  the  piano, 
with  the  box  upon  the  platform.  The  oil-cloth  was 
placed  in  the  case,  so  that  we  could  cover  the  in 
strument  after  it  had  been  deposited  in  the  box. 
Kit  and  I  had  hewn  four  timbers  of  the  length 
of  the  wagon,  on  opposite  sides,  like  a  railroad 
sleeper.  Raising  the  vehicle  with  levers,  we 
placed  these  sticks  under  the  wheels.  As  we 
lifted  up  the  wagon,  the  box  was  elevated  so  as 
to  enclose  the  instrument.  The  timbers  under 
the  wheels  were  each  about  six  inches  thick,  and 
when  we  had  them  in  position,  the  bottom  of  the 
piano  was  not  an  inch  from  the  bottom  of  the  case. 
We  then  drove  our  wedges  between  the  two 
timbers,  on  each  of  which  rested  two  of  the 
wheels,  securely  blocked.  The  wagon  rose  till 
the  ropes  which  supported  the  piano  were  slack 
ened,  and  we  united  and  removed  them.  The  in 
strument  rested  on  heavy  pads  in  the  bottom  of 
the  box,  so  that  we  had  no  trouble  in  pulling  out 
the  ropes.  Covering  the  piano  with  the  oil-cloth, 
we  screwed  on  the  lid  of  the  case.  By  this  time 


THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER.        287 

it  was  dark,  though  we  had  begun  early  in  the 
morning. 

The  next  day  we  made  an  inclined  plane  of  cot 
ton-wood  sticks,  upon  which  to  run  the  wagon 
down  upon  level  ground.  This  we  did  by  hand, 
and  then  we  were  ready  to  hitch  on  the  horses. 
We  did  not  intend  to  haul  it  down  to  the  landing 
till  we  heard  the  whistle  of  the  steamer,  for  the 
boat  would  wait  a  whole  day  for  half  a  ton  of 
freight  on  her  down  trip.  But  it  was  three  days 
more  before  we  heard  any  whistle. 

After  we  had  restored  the  house  to  its  former 
condition,  Ella  and  I  wandered  in  the  woods  and 
along  the  banks  of  the  river,  waiting  impatiently 
for  the  expected  signal.  I  had  dressed  myself  in 
my  best  clothes,  discarding  forever  my  hunting- 
frock  and  skin  cap.  I  thought  I  was  a  pretty  good- 
looking  fellow,  and  Ella  said  as  much  as  this  to  me. 

At  last  we  heard  the  whistle,  and  Kit  and  I 
hastened  to  hitch  on  the  horses.  We  placed  all 
the  baggage  on  the  wagon  with  the  piano-case, 
and  for  the  last  time  I  drove  old  Firefly  and 
Cracker  down  to  the  landing.  A  dozen  men  lifted 
the  piano  from  the  wagon,  and  placed  it  on  the 
deck  of  the  steamer.  The  trunks  and  other  bag 
gage  were  carried  on  board ;  and,  after  the  deck 


288  FIELD    AND    FOREST. 

hands  had  taken  in  twenty  cords  of  wood,  the 
whistle  sounded  again. 

"  Good  by,  Kit,"  said  I,  as  I  grasped  his  rough 
hand.  "  May  God  bless  and  keep  you.  I  hope  I 
shall  see  you  again." 

"It  mought  be,  and  it  mought  not;  leastwise  1 
don't  reckon  you  will,  if  you  don't  come  here. 
But  good  by,  boy.  I  hope  everything  will  allus 
go  well  with  you  ;  and  if  you  kin,  just  kim  up  here 
and  see  me.  Good  by,  boy." 

Kit  displayed  more  emotion  than  I  had  ever 
seen  him  exhibit  before,  and  I  found  it  difficult  to 
suppress  a  rising  tear.  Mr.  Gracewood  and  his 
family  shook  hands  with  him,  and  left  their  best 
wishes  for  his  future  prosperity  and  happiness. 

"  Good  by,  Mr.  Grease  wood.  You  are  a  good  man, 
and  you  will  allus  be  happy.  Don't  forget  old  Kit." 

"  I  never  shall,"  protested  Mr.  Gracewood,  as 
the  old  hunter  stepped  on  shore ;  and  that  was 
the  sentiment  in  all  our  hearts. 

The  bell  rang,  the  boat  started,  and  we  waved 
our  adieus  to  the  old  man  on  shore,  who  stood 
gazing  solemnly  and  sadly  at  us.  The  wheels  of 
the  steamer  were  turning,  and  as  I  gazed  upon  the 
familiar  shore,  I  realized  that  I  was  departing,  per 
haps  forever,  from  my  FIELD  AND  FOREST. 


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